Bug Juice
by Perdyta
Summary: Betel Geuse makes a plan to take his revenge out on the Maitlands. A part of his plan, however, involves finishing the wedding ceremony with Lydia Deetz and she ends up being the one who has to put up with him. Movieverse.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** I wasn't happy seeing so many mushy Betelgeuse stories, and so I made my own based on the movie verse. Enjoy.

**Prologue**

"You don't really think I am about to take you seriously like that... do you?"

It took him a moment to realize what the Miss Argentina receptionist was talking about when he remembered the tribal man with the low number and magic powder. This wasn't improving his mood.

"Put me back, and I'll show you how serious I can be." He squeaked as he leered at her.

"I doubt it."

The window was rudely slid shut in his face. Betel Geuse stood there for a moment longer in silence, staring through the window at her. Ever since that bitch in the ugly wedding dress sent that sand worm to swallow him, his powers had been less than satisfactory. Hell, he couldn't even magically tie someones shoelaces together let alone get his head back to its regular shape and then get back at that voodoo who-do whats-it-man who shrunk his head in the first place.

All of this thinking and standing was beginning to hurt his head, however, and he took his seat again.

"Have to admit, wouldn't have minded watching her for a bit longer though, ehehehehehe." He squeaked at the other shrunken head victim in the waiting room. Hearing how ridiculous his voice sounded, though, only put Betel in a worse mood. He looked down at his number that wasn't getting any smaller. He was going to go insane. How long had it been?

The number being called was number 796, which happened to be the other man with the shrunken head. The fucking jack ass.

* * *

Lydia caught the softball in both hands and quickly touched their makeshift second base.

"You're out!" She shouted victoriously. "Ooh looks like the girls team is ahead Adam boy."

"No way, you have got to be cheating. Did Barbara steal an extra softball?" Adam accused.

"Adam! Just admit you're out fair and square. Just because you and Charles are SO far behind--" Barbara teased.

"We weren't a moment ago." Charles interrupted and Barbara rolled her eyes at Lydia who smirked back.

"I don't care who is cheating so long as I don't hear anything breaking." Lydia cringed as her least favorite person in the whole wide house stood in the doorway of her room and spoke to them in her usual chipper sing song manner. If she went deaf it would be a blessing.

"Delia, come on. We're in my room. And besides, Adam and Barbara's powers have gotten a lot stronger now that they aren't so worried about who they share their house with or anything like that..." She had been about to say 'anything like that Betel guy' but just the thought of him made her want to dry heave. And to think she would have been married to him had Barbara been a second too late.

Yes, Barbara and Adam would be getting the largest presents on Christmas and on any other day for as long as Lydia was on this earth... and then even after that if she could manage it.

"So if anything broke, it'd be fixed before you had time to get upset." She finished.

"I know I just, wish it were possible for you all to play outside and I wouldn't be so worried every time I heard a shout and a crash."

"Hun, you'd be a lot more relaxed about this if you joined us for a game." Charles told her. Lydia tried to tell him with her eyes how bad of an idea that was.

"I'm sculpting dear, I am relaxed." And Delia quickly left the scene. Last summer Lydia may have found it amusing to hear her dad tell someone else to relax, but ever since he almost lost his baby girl and made a few new ghostly friends who loved his daughter possibly as much as he did, well... he viewed life differently.

Times were different now, and Lydia was happier than she had ever been before. It was nice having friends. Friends who felt like family and in doing so, brought hers closer together.

They went back to their game and without cheating on their part, the girls team won. Of course Adam had tried to use his new found levitating powers but Barbara was quick to shake her finger at him sternly and he was quick to stick the tip of his tongue out at her.

"Yes, well that was fun kids. Can't do it every day of course, not since... well not with my back... Think I'll go watch some birds." He smiled at them fondly and ruffled Lydia's hair as he passed her before leaving for his study and an exciting afternoon of bird watching.

Lydia watched him go with a small smile before turning to Adam and Barbara, "Sorry you lost Adam."

"Yeah yeah, I know you aren't. Just be prepared for next weekend when the boy team destroys the girl team." Adam told her with a smirk.

"Oh I'm sure." Was all Lydia said in reply. She walked past them towards her bed where her camera lay. She had wanted to use this nice fall day to ride her bike around and see if she could get some shots before it got too late.

"Going out with your camera Lydia?" Barbara asked with a kind smile. Though her pictures were usually a bit morbid for Barbara, she always had a motherly encouragement with everything Lydia did.

"Yes, it's one of my favorite times of the year. Not too warm, not too cold, and it makes a brilliant picture almost every time... as the earth is preparing to sleep."

"Well look, it's been a while since we've seen any pictures of yours..." Adam began and Lydia was about to apologize and offer an excuse but was cut off, "So take a good one, which knowing you would never be hard to do, and we'll show you something new that's up in the attic."

Lydia gave him a big grin and hugged the both of them. "You two are so good to me. I wonder if I deserve it sometimes."

Barbara stroked her face gently and looked down at her lovingly, "Don't be so silly Lydia. You're our little mortal girl."

The saying would have seemed odd, but as Lydia rode her bike down their long driveway and into town, she would toss the saying over and over in her head and it sounded nicer every time. She had never known her mother, and these past few months she felt as if she was finally meeting her.

Delia had her moments every now and then, when she wasn't stressed with her art not selling or moving into a house that in her opinion needed to be redecorated... but Delia had never looked at her the way Barbara does.

Sometimes she would even prefer Adam over her own father, though she felt guilty whenever she thought it. Her father had suffered a mental breakdown from all the stress in his life, and it wasn't fair to compare him to anyone else.

Steering off the street, Lydia decided to take the path less traveled. Alone with her thoughts and camera was how she preferred it when outside of her house.

Entering the small forest just deep enough not to be seen by any nosy neighbors, Lydia walked around at her own pace, taking a picture every few minutes, not really seeing anything that stood out to her.

Something crawled over the trunk of a tree next to her. Excited, Lydia brought the camera up and was about to take a few shots of the creepy crawler that decided to come pose for her, but she hesitated.

What she thought was a spider turned out to be a large shiny beetle and watching it crawl along the bark made her shiver in disgust.

Lydia never saw any use of being cruel to any creature, even insects. She felt like animals all had a place on this earth. But there was no feeling of remorse when she squashed the bug on the tree with a grubby tennis shoe.

Taking a few pictures, she knew what she would call her picture of the gooey mess, but just to be safe maybe she'd call it "Bug Juice."

After all, he had inspired Delia, why not her? 

* * *

His number was called, just when he was about to go postal on this dump. He always hated that receptionist. How great it would have been to... do what, exactly, he didn't know. It would have hurt but it wasn't satisfying because it wouldn't kill her. He hated hating dead people, not much could be done about it.

"Finally," he sighed as he threw himself into the chair across from Juno. Placing his muddy shoes on her desk top, Betel Geuse leaned back causally and gave her a lazy look. "Do you have any idea how long I had to wait there? I bet you do, bet you know full well --" His feet were pushed none too gently from her desk and Juno gave him a cold stare that might have sent the beetles crawling away from his teeth in shame.

"Geuse, you have been demoted to Level One Poltergeist, no longer are you allowed to refer to yourself as 'Bio-Exorcist' and you are stripped of all your powers until your next hearing. That is only if you have proved you can handle them again."

A headache was beginning to form already, damn this small head. His rage was coming back full force, but then when you had to spend four years in the Waiting Room, you never quite get over your little angry feelings.

"You have gotta be shittin' me! Do you know how _long_ it took -- do you know _WHAT_ it took to get to where I am?"

"'Where you _were,_' I believe is what you mean. And I'm sure it was nothing short of blackmail, inappropriate possession of both human _AND_ animal bodies, and of course, knowing you, illegal usage of insects and rodents." Juno replied in a way that pissed Betel right the fuck off, in a way that suggested she was anything but impressed.

"And you have no idea how hard it is to posses someone who's got nothing on you in the downstairs department if you know what I mean sweetheart, know what I mean?"

The look Juno sent him happened to be one he was used to receiving, one that spoke to him just how disgusted she was to have to look, smell, and listen to him.

Damn that look made him feel good.

Juno began to write something on his file, and he attempted to back track, "But you know, half of what you hear is just a rumor and the other half is exaggerated beyond what really happen. Eheheh, shit, some people make up the most interestin'... I'm sure if you just heard me out and... what the hell are you writing? Do you think I wanna sit here and hear that everything I've worked for is. Worth. Complete. Shit. DO YA? 'CAUSE I TELL YA WHAT, IT GETS OLD PRETTY DAMN FAST WOMAN!"

His shouts did not even earn him a flinch from the old bitch sitting across from him. Probably didn't sound the same when he squeaked at her instead of shouting in his usual voice. Damn he'd give anything to have his powers back and just blast her to sand worm land in a little box. In several little boxes.

"You've been confined to our world Betel. You are on house arrest. Now, since you do not currently own a house there's no other place to watch you save the jail house."

As the policy men were taking him away, he heard Juno call out to him, "And though I would love to see you mocked in the jail house for all the pain you have caused, I feel compelled however to fix your appearance a tiny bit so I can at least go to your hearing without falling into a fit of laughter."

Betel Geuse tuned out most of her little speech but soon began to feel an odd sensation in his head, as if it were expanding. There weren't any mirrors to see if all the right things were in all the right places, but feeling his face with his hands gave him pleasant results.

_That bitch isn't good for nothing I suppose._

"And take advantage of the prison showers! You think we want to smell that!" Juno shouted after him as an after thought.

_That fucking bitch._


	2. Chapter One

** Chapter One **

Being a senior was scary. Being a senior meant she would be leaving for college next Autumn, which was what, five months away?

There would be dorm rooms. She would have to meet new people. And be away from home. Away from Adam and Barbara. Away from her dad and...

Delia...

Away from Delia...

That actually was not so scary.

But being _with_ Delia as a senior was scary. In the past years Lydia had grown more happy, but no less morbid in her taste of attire and art. Barbara and Adam encouraged it, said her clothing was unique and she should look into classes for clothing design.

Delia claimed it was no way for a pretty young woman to ever meet someone normal.

Lydia claimed it was the only way she would meet someone like her, strange and unusual.

She lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling and thought about leaving the place. Living in the middle of no where meant there were no colleges that were necessarily close, but she couldn't stand the thought of being away for so long. What if she got used to being away so much that her visits became rare? What if she forgot the fun times she had here, the secrets... her secret ghost friends?

No, they were unforgettable.

There was a knock on her door and Lydia sat up quickly, bringing her books and papers towards her to look like she had been doing homework, what she told everyone she was doing.

"Hungry Lydia? We made shish kabobs!" Her dad called through the door.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute." She told him. "Just let me finish up... here." Lying about homework wasn't always the best idea for her, she forgot what she said she had been working on.

As her dad walked away, Lydia put away her "homework," or in this case a few blank pieces of paper and a biography on Edgar Allan Poe. Being a senior was great, she only had at the most an assignment a week, and those she could almost always get done with in class.

There was just no other excuse she could come up with for why she wouldn't be going with Delia to the movies or to the mall or where ever else was suggested, because she knew Delia would have an ulterior motive to inviting Lydia anywhere.

Meeting nice guys or getting a make over. The two most important steps to becoming the woman Delia wanted her to be.

Adam and Barbara knew of her hiding out and though they both agreed it would be good for her to go meet new people, they didn't feel the need to pressure Lydia to do it any other way but her own.

She was really going to miss them.

Dinner always brightened her mood. Despite not needing to eat, Adam and Barbara always came down to visit during meal times and meals were never so boring again.

Tonight, though, when she sat down she was prepared for questions about her social life. She managed to avoid Delia most of the day so dinner time was her moment to strike.

Lydia wasn't sure, but she had a theory. She believed Delia may be trying to live through her, after all Lydia could move where ever she wanted in a few months. She could go to the city and go to college for clothing design or photography or anything in the world.

Delia wasn't forced to stay in the house like Adam and Barbara, so Lydia would be behind her all the way should she choose to go to an art exhibit and see the world and whatever the hell else she always talked about. Alone, or with her dad... just not with her.

"Aw Lydia." Lydia looked up at Adam to see a horse face where his normal face should have been. "Why the long face?"

No matter how old Lydia got, Adam's corny jokes still brought a small giggle from her, but she did add an eye roll towards Barbara this time.

"I didn't realize I was making a face like that." She said honestly around a mouthful of food.

"Well you know us, always here to help." Barbara told her with a wink.

Delia and Charles were in their own little world, discussing what exactly... Lydia was sure she didn't care, but she was glad that they hadn't been listening to her conversation.

It was so odd to have two different sets of parents, and as Lydia glanced at her mortal ones, she wondered if they ever felt she preferred her dead ones.

The private conversation ended at the end of the table and Delia spoke up.

"Lydia darling," Lydia's hand clenched around her glass she was drinking from. Calling her "darling" was never a good sign, but if it was followed with _"Your father and I have been talking,"_ well... that was even worse news.

"You're father and I have been talking," _She said it, things can only get worse now_ "and we believe it may be in your best interest," _ Calm down, remain calm, whatever she says won't be so bad if you can remain calm about it_ "If we enrolled you in an etiquette class."

_ How in the -- WHAT_

"... A what? You think I need etiquette classes?" She was expecting maybe dance classes or a beauty pageant, something to give Delia an excuse to pamper her up and tell her how much she should really accent her fair skin rather than make it look sickly by wearing those "Halloween costumes."

"That's the thing, it's so much _ more _ than an etiquette class. You get so much more out of it than just table manners, you learn how to use your skills. They teach you to be powerful women, how to have more... more... what's the word I'm looking for Charles?"

"Sexual appeal?" Lydia offered, seeing right through all of her fancy talk. "Style? What is it really Delia, a matchmaking service?"

"What? No! No, no... The brochure did say you will be meeting boys but it isn't a matchmaking service per se."

"I don't... I don't want to listen to this. I think I'll just go to bed now." Lydia announced before standing up. "Good night."

She ignored Adam and Barbara's looks of concern and Delia saying "How does she feel she can turn down etiquette classes when she behaves in such a way?"

Closing her door, Lydia threw herself onto her bed and looked over at her wall calendar. Another month, that was it and then school was out. Then summer always went by in a flash and she'd be outta here.

And in a dorm room... with her luck she'd probably end up with some bubbly roommate.

"Oh God." Lydia groaned, covering her head with a pillow.

There was a knock on her door and not caring who it was, she shouted "Do not disturb!"

"Lydia, we aren't here to bother you." Barbara's voice called through the door. It was a sign of how much they cared that they didn't use their powers and just appear in her room.

She heard Adam tell Barbara they should just let her be alone and though she hated turning the two away, as they had never been anything but kind to her, she wanted her solitude just for the night.

"Good night Lydia." Adam said through the door and then they left. Lydia curled up with her pillow and fell asleep on top of her covers.

_ "Hey you, baby doll. That's enough snoozin' babe." She thought it was her dad waking her up for school, but he didn't say things like that... and his voice was smoother. It didn't sound like gravel beneath your feet._

Lydia sat up and saw a large snake at the foot of her bed. The creature had the body of a snake anyway, but the head was unmistakably Betel Geuse.

Screaming, she jumped up to get away from the grotesque thing, but he slithered toward her with a leer on his face.

She grabbed a glass of orange juice from her dresser and threw it on the snake who began to scream in agony.

"I'm meltin'! Ah babe why'd you have to do a thing like that? I'm meltin'! I'm meltin'!"

The creature was dissolving right in front of her on her bedroom floor. But in its place were a hundred beetles that scattered all around her room. They crawled into her bed and up her legs. She screamed and stomped at them, but they were always crawling.

"Ah you're ruining your dress dancin' 'round like that." the same gravelly voice said behind her.

She turned around and saw the Bio-Exorcist in his maroon wedding tuxedo standing in front of her, as if he had never been murdered by toxic orange juice.

"No, no you're dead. Barbara, she... and then I..." Lydia stammered.

"Oh I'm dead, but don't feel so special Princess. I was dead long before Barbara or you did anythin' to me... and so... 'til death do you part." He told her. She looked down at her hand and saw the ring he had forced onto her finger so many years ago.

He was coming closer to her with that leer on his face. 

And that was the reason she was wide awake an hour earlier than she had to be. Groaning, she tried to go back to sleep just for a bit longer. At least it was a Friday, because she could tell already what kind of day it was going to be.

* * *

"...And if I catch you snoozing in class again, Miss Deetz, you'll have so many lunch detentions..."

"Yes Mr. Gavin." Lydia answered before her teacher could try to come up with a way to finish his threat. She took her journal and left.

_ Last hour of the day, thank God. _ Thought Lydia as she got onto her bike and headed home.

It was with a feeling of dread that she recognized the purple convertible driving slowly towards her. The last time she had talked to Delia was at dinner the night before and she had been hoping she could maybe shoot for not saying a word to her all weekend, but apparently she had different plans.

_ Why me?_

"Lydia, I'm going to treat you to something special today, so hop in."

"But I have --"

"Homework?" Delia asked, eying her empty basket. Lydia's face turned red as she tried to think of another excuse.

"I'm still in my school uniform." She said.

That seemed to work but all it did was buy her a few minutes to go throw on something decent.

Lydia got into the passenger seat wearing a wide brimmed hat as dark as her hair and one of her many flowing dresses she had made herself. No words of disapproval came from Delia for which she was thankful.

They drove on in silence for a few minutes and Lydia was the first to break it.

"If you're taking me to etiquette classes, I'm jumping from this car." She told her, resembling her moody 13 year old self.

"Oh Lydia, lighten up! Can't I just surprise you?"

"You can, but no where does it say the victim has to enjoy the surprise."

"Look, I'm attempting to do something nice Lydia, so is it too much to ask for you_ not _ to act like a complete brat for just one day? Hmm?"

Lydia didn't answer but instead looked out the window and watched the trees and buildings go past at a blur. She wished she had thought to bring her camera.

"My birthday is next week." She said more to herself than to Delia. It was more of a private revelation that she'd be 18, a legal adult.

"Yes, it is."

That was the last thing that was said in the car until Delia pulled into the parking lot of the mall.

_ I knew it. What is it this time? Clothes, make up, both? Oh God, tell me we aren't here to talk about boys, the last time Delia tried that she ended up asking if I was a lesbian. _

Delia turned towards her as soon as they were through the building doors.

_ Oh no, here it comes. _

"I know we just got here..." _ Whatever she says, be polite so she doesn't try to throw you out next week. _

"But my bladder is going to explode if I don't do something quick. Watch my purse?" She asked.

A little surprised, though covering it up quickly, Lydia nodded. "Sure." And was soon watching Delia move her little legs as fast as she could to the restrooms.

Lydia leaned against the wall and set the purse on the floor beside her. The thing was ugly, she didn't want to be seen with it.

Looking up at the ceiling, Lydia watched the clouds move through the sky light. It was very pretty for a mall, and not overly crowded. That was nice, she hated crowds.

She saw something out of the corner of her eye then and was distracted from her cloud watching.

Looking around at the things her own level, she saw groups of kids, some her age and others who looked older, at different tables in the food court. Others were on benches and there were a few walking into a gift shop.

But what caused her to turn away from those beautiful cloud shapes was making everything else seem to disappear.

While she gazed at him from across the mall, she wondered if he had been gazing at her a moment earlier when suddenly he looked up from the ice cream cone he currently seemed to be showing off some skill on.

Lydia quickly turned away and hoped he was too far away to see her blushing.

_ Why did I choose this hat_

Sneaking a glance back at him, she saw he was still looking over towards her... maybe at a poster near her or something, but she was going to believe he was staring at her as intently as she was staring at him.

_ Oh God he's looking at me, I should have put my hair up instead. There was no time. Oh God he's ** still ** looking at me. What -- wait where is he going? Come back Cute Boy_

As if Cute Boy was made to follow her every command, he was soon making a beeline from the trash can to where she stood.

_ Wait, now what are you doing? Don't come over here, I'll die!_

Oh, you must be going to the bathroom... no need for me to get so nervous or anything like that. I'll just smile at you from under my hat and you'll smile back...

I'll be calm...

And I'll make you think that I'm just way too cool -- wait what? Since when do I want guys to think I'm "way too cool"

The Cute Boy was thankfully oblivious to everything going on in Lydia's head, but he had enough common sense to smile at the one he had dubbed The Cute Girl while her passed her on the way to the drinking fountain.

_ He smiled at me... damn right he did. _

Feeling a little guilty, but not at all able to help herself, Lydia had to check out his butt as he bent over to get a drink. It was just _ so _ cute. Her eyes traveled up to his face and she watched the water drip from his lips. She licked her own before realizing what she was doing.

_ Stop it, if Delia comes out and sees you, you will never hear the end of it. _

The Cute Boy was standing up and when he turned around, Lydia quickly looked away, hoping he hadn't caught her staring... again...

But she was only able to look away for a second before glancing back at The Cute Boy with a smile.

_ He's walking towards me! It'll be okay just remember not to be a complete idiot and it will all be okay. _

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." She said.

"My name's Jack."

"I'm Lydia."

When Delia walked out of the ladies room, she looked for Lydia where she had last been with her... and gasped loudly. Stuck to the lips of her stepdaughter was what looked to be her equal in all things gloomy and morbid.

Had it been one of her own friends she would have just laughed and then might sneak off, of course congratulate the girl later... but she had _ adopted _ Lydia and some motherly instincts were kicking in and they all told her to shout and yell and make a ** scene ** !

Grabbing Lydia's hand, Delia pulled the two apart with a look of crazy about her.

"We are going straight home this instant and you are explaining yourself to both me and your father!"

"But... but I didn't get his number!"

"I slipped it into your pocket, don't worry." Jack said and sent her a wink that made Lydia sure she could fly. Delia gaped at him, he had been_ groping _ her!?

"Call me Lyds." The boy said with a dreamy grin and Delia shook her head at him, shouting "When it's a cold day in hell!"

"Tonight!" Lydia added before the mall doors closed on her.

Hearing this news, Charles was concerned... but not as concerned as Delia wanted him to be, so he felt obligated to tell Lydia how boys will do anything and yadda yadda yadda.

"You haven't even asked her if she would care to explain _ how _ she let that happen. A responsible young woman like herself should know better..."

"I can't explain." Lydia said with the same dreamy look she'd had the whole ride home. "One minute we were saying 'hey' and the next... we were on cloud nine."

There was a snort from the hallway that Charles was sure came from Adam.

"Aww come on. The girl's in love. There's no danger in that. First love." Adam added his two cents to the whole deal with Barbara nodding at his side.

Charles smiled fondly, a blissful look coming across his face... a look that suggested he was remembering very happy times.

"No, I suppose there isn't really. Well, we got answers to your - I mean our questions Delia. I suppose she can go."

Lydia barely waited for him to finish his sentence before running out the door. She had a phone call to make after all. She was going to be sure to thank The Cute Boy... or Jack... so much for getting her out of a shopping trip with her step mom.

* * *

"I am not joking pal! You need to shower and I don't care if we have to force you." Kise threatened.

Betel Geuse eyed the mans scars and wondered if he got them the way he said, from bull fighting down south, or from what was more likely the truth - talking bigger talk than he should have been.

"I am perfectly happy the way I am, do I try and force ya not to act like an asshole?" He asked from where he lounged on his top bunk.

"Oh ha ha..." Kise said sarcastically, "But here's the thing... being dead means that generally we don't need to clean ourselves. It's a little hard to get dirty since, well, our bodies stay in the same state they were when we died." He explained in a tone one would use on a confused kindergartner.

"Ah yes, good point." Geuse mumbled sleepily in a tone that suggested not only did he not care, but he also thought it was _ not _ a good point.

"So," his cell mate continued while trying to calm himself, "if you could... Please explain to me how it is _ possible _ to ever get That. Disgusting. On. _ Purpose_ "

Betel Geuse smiled up at the ceiling in response to the compliment that was just so nicely bestowed upon him.

"Such sweet things you say to me, Kise. Quit, or I might grow fond of having you around."

There was silence for a while as Kise tried to come up with how exactly you hurt a dead guy and Betel Geuse just napped away. Finally, though, he felt the guy deserved an answer after all of his sweet talk.

"In my line of work, appearance is everythin'. I'm the ghost with the most, _ pal_ and anyone looking to hire can clearly see that."

"Yeah... but you were fired."

"No." was the harsh reply.

"My bad," Kise smirked, sensing a touchy subject, "You were demoted right? All the way down to level one? Damn... and you've been working for Bio-Exorcist, for how long again?"

"Six Hundred Years." Betel Geuse bit the words out.

"Man, I don't know what I would do to see all of my hard work just... taken from me like that... one day you're succesful and powerful... the next you're demoted and in jail. Harsh little world."

Betel Geuse turned his back to his cell mate and attempted to ignore him. Shoving a bar through his head would only keep him in here longer and then Kise would be complaining the whole time about headaches.

When he had his powers back, he could do a bit more than a simple bar through the brain.

Despite Kise attempting to bait him into getting angry, Betel Geuse fell asleep with a smile on his face and dreamed a very happy dream.


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: **This took forever and I'm still not completely satisfied with it, but I've edited the hell out of it and it's time to move on lol... plus my beta reader is currently getting ready for a cruise to Jamaica... yeah I hate her

Thanks for the lovely review:D

**Chapter Two**

"Lydia Deetz? Did she come _today_?"

"Here I am!" Came her reply as she was straightening her robe.

"You didn't sign up to walk with anyone." Mrs. Kleski told her, sounding irritated. "_And_ you missed rehearsal."

"Oh no... I forgot..." Lydia tried to sound disappointed. So she chose a date over rehearsal for _graduation,_ sue her.

"You'll just have to walk with a pair of girls. Walk with... Ocker and Kotes." She said, nudging Lydia in the direction of the friendly faces of Mandy Kotes and Kate Ocker.

_Thank goodness, at least these two won't be unbearable to sit by._

"So I'll just do what you two do?" Lydia asked.

"Well, do what I do... Katy made rehearsal, but that doesn't mean she paid attention." Mandy informed her, Katy just shrugged and had a sheepish looking smirk on her face.

Soon enough, they were walking through the doors into the auditorium where the ceremony was taking place.

Lydia looked around at all the people watching them. Yes, there were her parents, both grinning and waving enthusiastically. Her dad was taping everything for Adam and Barbara. Poor them, probably thought they missed sitting through an hour of boring talks from little high school kids being as they can't leave the house and all.

_Nah, knowing them they were the ones who put the recorder in Dad's hands. Silly geese... now where is... ah there he is._

Jack sent her a wink once she made eye contact with him and while she grinned back at him she ended up stumbling over her own feet. After catching her balance she decided it would be better to just watch where she was going. No staring at The Cute Boy while walking.

The ceremony would last well over an hour. A few students spoke to their class about the future and the past and college and what not. Lydia was only half paying attention as she kept sneaking glances over at Jack. She just wanted to go up there, get her diploma, and head on home for her Open House. Just thinking of all the things they would do when she got home - the games, the food, just being with her family, ghost friends, and boyfriend that her step mother didn't approve of...

The thought brought a smile to her face.

Of course, she would have to celebrate with Adam and Barbara separately, which was too bad, but she couldn't wait. They always had the best fun.

_Shake, shake, shake Senora..._ She could hear their choice of music already.

Finally they were calling them up by name and mentioning how great their grades were before handing them their diploma.

"Lydia Deetz."

"Strange and unusual. At your service." She muttered to herself with a smirk before walking up to Mrs. Kleski and accepting her ticket out of high school.

It felt pretty damn nice holding it.

_How great would it be if I just ran for it now? Just run out of here screaming "I'm free!" It's not like they can threaten to not let me graduate with my class anymore._

Every adult in my house would kill me...

I'll tell Jack to do it at his graduation. It's his fault I'm having such a weird impulse anyway.

He was a very bad influence on her. Lydia took a seat, she was supposed to watch the rest of her fellow classmates receive their diplomas, but she would rather get distracted by Jack.

Making eye contact with him, they both gave each other a big goofy grin. She rather liked having him as a bad influence.

* * *

"Why the hell did I save this?" Lydia asked herself out loud as she held up a dusty poster she found under her bed. It was a poster of a very embarrassing boy band from her Freshman year of High School. The band didn't fit how moody she had been that year, but they had been her secret shame.

Now they were just shameful. The poster was stuffed in a garbage bag that was packed more than her suitcase.

Reaching back under her bed, Lydia's fingers brushed against the edge of a small box but she was unable to reach any further. Before she could work under her bed more to get it, she was startled by something hitting her bedroom window, hard.

"What the --" Lydia sat up quickly in surprise and ended up hitting her head against her side table.

"Stupid birds." She muttered, rubbing her head. Pushing open her window, she leaned out and instead of seeing a mangled bird on the ground, she saw something much nicer.

"Are you trying to break my window Jack?" She asked. "Or my head? Jerk." That part was muttered under her breath.

It was the middle of the day, he didn't really have to be throwing rocks at her window like he was attempting to be sneaky. He was off his rocker if he expected her to climb down the drain pipe.

"Look, Lydia... I was hoping we could hang out today, if you aren't doing anything. I mean, you know, do you want to go on a... like a date or something? 'Cause I'm totally not busy and was just thinking of a spur of the moment kinda thing but if you say yes don't jump because I've never been good with catching things you know."

_What is he talking about? We hang out all the time, and usually all he has to do is call me up and say "Hey, meet me here or there babe." What a dork..._

Confused about why he was acting so strangely, she responded after trying to think over what exactly it was he was asking. "Jack, my parents know we're seeing each other, you could just use the front door. Like usual."

Jack sighed and looked frustrated, she wondered if it was because she was not answering the question, or if he just realized he was supposed to do this sneaking around stuff at night. _Aww, he's so cute when he's fwustwated._ "Shut up Lyds, I'm being romantic and shit."

Lydia smirked, "My bad, continue with what you were doing then."

"Just... come down here. I'm taking you on a date."

"Right away my dear Casanova." Lydia saluted him before going downstairs. Jack always managed to look cute, but he would have to deal with her grubby clothes. That's what he got for being so into surprises.

"I'll be back later!" She called out to who ever was near. Some one was bound to have heard her.

Jack was already waiting for her in his car. Sliding in, she gave him a kiss and Jack reached a hand up to rub her cheek. Smiling at him, Lydia thought he was just being sweet until he looked at his hand with a wrinkled nose.

"You had some dust on you," he said as he wiped his hand on his pants. "What the hell are you doin'?"

"Packing." Lydia told him and then added with a smirk, "You're just lucky I put deodorant on, Romeo."

"Ha ha." He responded sarcastically as he pulled out of her drive way.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Really?" After the way he just executed the "Surprise Lydia by making her think birds are flying into her window and then be all sneaky in the middle of the day" plan, she worried about how this next plan might go.

"Yeah, just... relax or whatever. It's gonna be awesome."

They drove on for about ten minutes, the time passing quickly as they talked comfortably before Lydia mentioned the surprise.

"I hope it isn't too far away because I have to pack you know." She left in two days. Delia was probably going to have a fit when Lydia got home about how far behind she was in packing.

"I know." Was all he said. Lydia looked out the window and tried to figure out where they were going.

"Can you tell me how much longer?"

"Until what?"

"We get there, cornball."

"Five days."

Lydia stared at him, trying to tell if he was fibbing or not. _Jack is a spontaneous kind of guy but... he wouldn't... nah he's only kidding. He always kids about everything and so yeah, yeah he's kidding... isn't he?_

"Jack..."

"_What?_" He shouted. Lydia was surprised to be shouted at by him, but that didn't stop her from responding.

"Well you don't need to shout at me! I just can't tell whether you are joking or not but if you're going to shout at me, I guess that answers my question." She hissed at him and crossed her arms angrily. Turning her head, she stared out the window again.

_Did that answer my question, no not really... but it sounded good to say at the moment... now it sounds dumb..._

"I'm just trying to take my girlfriend out and surprise her, sorry if I get sick of answering questions every five seconds!"

Lydia didn't say anything, though she would have loved to turn around and smacked him upside the head for that. It wasn't her fault that he was the one doing such a poor job with surprises. Being curious didn't call for being shouted at, damn it.

This time the minutes ticked by in silence before Lydia broke it again. "I'm not really interested in going on a date if you're going to be moody."

It was odd being mad at Jack, the whole summer they had spent nearly every day together and today was the first time he'd shouted at her while seriously being angry with her, or whatever the hell was the matter with him.

"And if we really are going to be gone for five days, or more, I'm jumping out of the car." She repeated the same threat to him she had said to Delia months earlier.

Suddenly he was pulling the car over to the side of the road. Putting the car in park, Jack avoided looking at her while reaching across and opening her door.

"There, now you don't have to bruise your face." Lydia didn't budge but instead gaped at him in shock. Did he honestly expect her to walk back home? She didn't even know where they were. Of all the jerk things to do in a situation like this.

"You know I have to leave for college soon, I don't want us to be --"

"I know Lydia! I know!" He shouted at her, finally looking at her in the eye. Acting as if he didn't like what he saw, he looked away quickly with a grimace. Then he was opening his own door and began walking down the side of the dirt road leaving her in the car that was still running and now had two open doors.

Lydia tried to think over how exactly this had started but that only pissed her off even more.

_Maybe he was just kidding about the five days and I shouldn't have taken him seriously... he could have just said he was joking though, he didn't have to be an asshole about all of this... I should drive home and leave him. Would serve him right for leaving the keys and for leaving me._

Lydia watched him walk for a minute or so before he turned and walked down into the woods.

"Shit. He's going to get lost."

Reaching over, she turned the car off and took the keys. Only after making sure everything was locked did Lydia go after him. She didn't want to seem too desperate after all.

Lydia had to walk for ten minutes before she saw him sitting on a rock. It looked dirty too, he must have been really troubled to not mind sitting on that.

Stopping once she was a few feet away, she looked at him in silence for a moment. What ever was going on in his head, she had a feeling it was similar to the things she had been thinking of the past few weeks.

"I'm sorry Jack. I didn't mean to make you angry." She said honestly. Seeing him there and realizing what must be eating him up inside put an end to her anger with him.

"I know."

Lydia took a step towards him, watching out for any sign of him becoming angry again.

Jack sat up straight but still did not turn to look her in the face. He didn't talk right away but Lydia didn't mind waiting for him.

"I... care... for you Lydia, very much."

"And I you." she responded quietly.

Now he was standing and began taking slow, hesitant steps towards her but still avoiding her gaze. "And you know it isn't you I'm angry with... but I can't make an excuse for how I've behaved today. I've just been so... it's bullshit Lydia! My college should have accepted your application, even if it was late. Now how are we ever going to see each other? And I probably screwed things up and damn it this is such a shitty way to end a wonderful summer. I just want to make things better but --"

Lydia silenced him by placing a finger over his lips and this finally made him look her in the eye.

"You can begin my apologizing."

"I'm sorry Lydia." He said obediently and honestly. His gaze was enough to break her, but she had to remain as level headed as possible.

"And you can show how sorry you are by listening to me. We both care very much for each other, and just because there are some obstacles in the way, like maybe a few towns, that doesn't mean that will change. You know that."

"I do know that, I just get so angry. Your application wasn't even that late."

"I know, it makes me angry too. But my college is fine, and yours will be good for you. We can still visit each other on the weekends and there will be no having to put up with each others parents."

"Yeah, I know."

Lydia gave him a small smile. She hoped her words comforted him, but now she was thinking about how much distance would be between them and she wanted to be comforted by him this time.

"Hold me?" She asked quietly and Jack was quick to please, wrapping his arms around her.

They would spend much of the day in the woods, talking and holding each other and sometimes just sitting in a comfortable silence.

It would be fine, they would just have to make up for lost time on the weekends. That was okay, they could do that.

Jack was finally walking Lydia to her door much later in the day. She hoped she wouldn't have too much explaining to do about where she had been, it's not like she had anything else to do. Anything else that was more important anyway.

_Ah damn it, I still have to pack... but I know this was so worth being rushed a bit more._

"Good night Lyds." Jack said before kissing her. He pulled away and she pulled him back for another quick kiss.

"Good night Jack." She said when they were apart. Giving him one last smile, she reached for the doorknob and was about to go in when Jack slid a hand over her wrist. Stopping, Lydia looked up at him curiously.

The way Jack was staring at her made her feel as if he was searching her, looking for something in her gaze. She wasn't sure if he found what he was looking for or not but he soon dipped his head down to capture her lips once more in a deep kiss. Hands pulled each other closer and they stood stayed like that for awhile. Being so close to him felt so perfect, she felt safe in his arms and it was with a disappointed feeling that she pulled away.

"Let's not say goodbye." He said before she could say it.

"Just good night?"

"Yeah." He rested his forehead against hers.

"Good night Jack." Then she turned the doorknob and really did leave that time.

Taking a shower sounded like a good idea and so Lydia headed to her room to get her bathrobe, but was soon stopped in her tracks by a demon voice.

"Are you having sex with that boy?"

Smiling, but not the same way she had been when she was with Jack, it was more of a "Kill me now" smile, Lydia turned to face her nemesis.

"Good evening Delia, lovely as always I see. You always have the best ice breakers, don't you?"

"Are you having sex with that boy?" Delia repeated. She didn't sound like she was accusing Lydia, but more like she was merely curious.

Still, curious or accusing, the answer was the same: "No."

"Because you can tell me if you are."

"We aren't." _Oh God, she really is curious. She's curious in my sex life... like some... I don't know, like some weird person!_

"I won't get mad."

"We are not having sex." Lydia was getting irritated, she recognized that Delia was trying to be friendly in her own way but that still meant she would have to accept the truth.

"I promise it won't be like at the mall when I saw you two kissing."

_Oh for crying out loud!_

"I'm not having sex with him Delia, but I _want_ to!"

There was a silence as Lydia stood frozen in the shock of not only realizing what she just admitted, but what she just admitted so loudly that probably the ghosts in the attic heard her.

Straightening, Lydia's face was turning red but she held on to her dignity as she said good night to Delia politely before going to her room.

* * *

"Let's go Geuse, move it."

He didn't need to be told twice. He had been waiting for this day for ten months. Before leaving, he sent his cell mate one last green toothed smile over his shoulder. There was a promise in that smile, one Kise would never forget.

"You have a hearing with Juno and the Board of Carnage, but she requested that first you take advantage of the showers and that you use this."

Betel Geuse eyed the bar of soap in the policy guards hand. How long had it been since he'd seen one of those? He could smell the flowery fragrance and it made his lip curl in disgust. Making no move to take it, the guard put it in his hand along with a towel and his maroon tuxedo that smelled as if it too had been _Oh God_ washed with the same flowery type soap.

Looking back at the guard, he snarled at him, "You just made the list, fuck wad."

The guard faltered a bit, even without his powers Betel Geuse was someone you should know better than to screw with, but he drove on with what he was meant to do.

"That is an order, you are still in our custody for the next two hours and without powers for the next three. Juno has made her orders perfectly clear that she wants you washed and presentable, even if... Even if we have to wash you ourselves." The guard avoided all eye contact as he spoke and Betel Geuse had a grin back on his face.

Being feared always made him feel better.

Before he had a chance to respond, he was shoved into the showers where there were many more bars and tubes of soap that all had the same flowery scent. It was so strong that he felt he might puke right there.

_This is a jail for men, couldn't they have at least provided them with less... feminine soaps?_

_This is all Juno' fault... and that Maitland woman... and the policy guard... my list gets longer every day. But that's what they get for being bitches and fuck heads._

Now Betel Geuse stood facing the shower knob, he stared at it for a full ten minutes before there was a bang on the door and a guard shouted at him to get going or they would be helping him and it wouldn't be gentle.

_They're all always so brave when they can't look me in the face._ He thought as he began to peel off his gray jumpsuit and smirked.

_Soon it will be my old clothes, my old life... my old powers._

He stared at his hands as he stood naked on the cold tile. They had become so powerless. They still looked powerful, though. These were the hands of a worker, of a Bio-Exorcist.

_But not an ex-Bio-Exorcist._ He thought bitterly.

"I'm serious Geuse, we have been ordered to wash you if you refuse to cooperate."

_Yet all you do is warn me and warn me. There will be no damn warning when I come back._

Staring at the knob on the shower, Betel Geuse couldn't think of what to do with it. There was no such thing as indoor plumbing before he died and never a need or want to shower in the after life.

_Which would explain why it's so clean in here..._

Reaching out, he tried to push forward on the knob and frowned when nothing happened. The thing had no damn directions or anything, how the hell was he supposed to function it properly?

Betel tried to pull and when he did, it moved and a trickle of water came out. Now he frowned, he was no expert on bathing but fuck that if they all thought he was showering with that little trickle of water.

Still, it had moved, but not in the direction he wanted it to. Looking down at where his hand was around the knob, he decided to twist it this time and before he could even realize the stream was bigger now he had jumped back instantly from the ice cold water that had just poured down his back.

"Mother fuck of a damn biscuit shitting face! FUCK!"

"Shut up in there and just get clean, damn it, I don't want to baby-sit you all day."

Betel Geuse pointed at the door. Ten months ago that would have caused the door to swing open and crush the policy guard. Now he just looked like a naked, shivering, and powerless idiot.

_Fuck 'em **all!**_

Avoiding the stream of water, Betel reached his hand around to the knob and turned it back the other way. He wanted to just turn it off but had twisted it too much, he almost thought he had broken it but then a bit of water was coming out and with a cry of triumph he realized the water was warm.

The shower was going to go in his original plans of blowing up this place, but warm water was nice. He may change his mind yet.

As the water soaked his greasy hair, he watched the dirty water hit the tiles at his feet. He hadn't even begun to use the soap yet.

Eyeing the soap, Betel let the water flow over his body for several minutes and he stood still, just preparing himself for what he was about to be forced to do.

It was all just the final step of erasing who he was as he picked up the bar of soap.

_They may all be dead, but they will still suffer. And I'll be the one to make them suffer._

Eventually the water went cold and the soap did its job. What he could see anyway, he assumed his face was clean, he had scrubbed it numerous times along with his hair.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, he looked around at the mess he made with a satisfied grin. They would be remembering his presence there for a very long time.

Which served them right, because it would be hell trying to get back to the state he was before meeting the cursed shower that started out freezing, made you love it by getting warm and then becomes a back stabber by turning cold again.

Betel pulled at his hair, trying to make it stick out again, but as much as he tried, the grease was all washed away and there was nothing there anymore to make his hair stick up. He hadn't been able to shave the front for ten months now, and now he had a full head of hair just like he had when he died.

The green was off his skin, and his nails less grotesque looking. Of course he was still pale, but it looked more human and less monster now.

Damn them all. How was he supposed to scare people when he looked like such a pansy?

Betel was escorted to his hearing after he had put on his maroon tuxedo. When he had come out of the bathroom, the men seemed less frightened of him, which was probably something Juno had been counting on.

_I'm gonna get her._

They forced him down into a steel chair and chained him to it, to which he rolled his eyes. No power and in a room with the Board of Carnage, even he knew not to fuck around.

Speak of the devil, there they all were. Sitting side by side and looking down at Betel Geuse with faces that looked to him like they too had to wake up that morning to a bathroom full of flowery soaps.

"Betel Geuse you are -- "

"That's once!" He said with a grin as he interrupted Juno who gave him a cold stare. "Ah, old habit... continue."

_Shit, shut up._

And so began a very long meeting of being asked questions that he couldn't very well recall the answers to.

"Betel Geuse you are sitting here because you have broken rule upon rule time and again and this time you were caught. You are lucky the sandworm spit you out or we would have allowed its stomach acid to digest you and you would spend the remainder of your afterlife as a flaming pile of... feces..."

_That is crossing the line a little bit, even for me. For one thing I wouldn't be able to move, so what would the point be?_

"It is perfectly legal for you to aid those who call you, however it is not legal to camp out near them and harass them or any mortals into calling you."

Betel Geuse hung his head, attempting to appear ashamed of himself. Maybe it would be believable in his new state of cleanliness.

"And further more." Juno went on, "If you had succeeded in marrying that mortal girl you know you would be facing much more than just four years in The Waiting Room, ten months of house arrest and then years upon years of probation. You would be facing an eternal bond. While she is only bound to you in her life you would have been forever bound to her. Even for you, it's hard to believe you acted so... stupidly."

Betel Geuse had not really thought of it that way. He knew he'd have a woman and have benefits, but that was all the thought process was giving him, she was just a way out and a hot way out too. There were so many bonuses in that little body he had not even begun to think of... being bonded to her for... eternity.

She was just supposed to be a way for him to be able to travel to the mortal world without being called, he was so sure there was a loophole in the whole bonded eternally thing somewhere!

His realization of his mistake must have shown on his face for Juno didn't ask an explanation to that, but he did have to tell them whether he had, in their words "harassed" anyone into calling his name before, and he had to respond honestly, "Yes."

When all was said and done he was put on probation until The Board of Carnage saw it fit to allow him off, and that meant that while he was free to do what he wanted while off the job, provided nothing illegal of course, all of his jobs would be handpicked for him and during the whole time he would be monitored closely. His powers were given back to him, but with a promise to be taken away and have him thrown back in jail if he tried to go do a job on his own.

In his opinion they were trusting him too much not to monitor him closely at all times, but he wasn't going to tell them. They were idiots to think that with a change of appearance came a change of a personality as well.

Betel Geuse was to report back to the Waiting Room the next day, but the rest of this day he was a free man.

Walking out on the street, he left to a place familiar to him with dark allies and red doors. This was where he had spent most of his time when not working on a job. This is where he had a house, before he went to work on the Maitlands.

What a waste of time that had been.

It was time to go house hunting again. Knocking on the door of a rather grotesque looking building, he waited patiently for an answer. A stout little man answered and sneered up at him.

"Aint ya goin' to invite me in pal?" He asked and with a smirk, the man was tossed high into the air and came down with a crash on the other side of town.

Now he stepped into the door and took a look around. With a satisfied grin he nodded, "Home sweet home. Works for me. Let's go say hi to the neighbors."

Walking down the cracked sidewalk he grinned up at the building a few doors down that had neon signs flashing all over advertising its special and just what kind of services the girls were offering.

_I knew there was a good reason I picked this neighborhood._

* * *

Juno had watched Betel Geuse being escorted out of the hall with a feeling of dread. His punishment was very light in her opinion, but there wasn't much he had actually done wrong. He had been called, even by the mortal girl, and so they could only punish him for the actions he did before he was called. There would be no more camping out in the other world for him, he needed to be distanced away from the living for a bit longer.

She wondered, then, if she should tell the last couple he had been dealing with, The Maitlands, about his release. Or if they even knew he had survived... they were a dumb couple and would probably think the sandworm "killed" him.

Still, Barbara was the one to get Geuse eaten by the sandworm, he would be wanting revenge sooner or later... probably as soon as he was off of probation.

_No, I haven't heard from them in a long time. It's been nice. Besides, it will be a **very** long time if I have anything to do with it before Geuse is let off probation._

* * *

_"Hey you, baby doll. That's enough snoozin' babe." She knew that voice, and it was with a feeling of dread that she knew she had heard it speak those words before._

Lydia sat up and saw a large snake at the foot of her bed. The creature had the body of a snake anyway, but the head was unmistakably Betel Geuse.

Screaming, she jumped up to get away from the grotesque thing, but he slithered toward her with a leer on his face.

She grabbed a glass of orange juice from her dresser and threw it on the snake who began to scream in agony.

"I'm meltin'! Ah babe why'd you have to do a thing like that? I'm meltin'! I'm meltin'!"

The creature was dissolving right in front of her on her bedroom floor. But in its place were a hundred beetles that scattered all around her room. They crawled into her bed and up her legs. She screamed and stomped at them, but they were always crawling.

"Ah you're ruining your dress dancin' 'round like that." the same gravelly voice said behind her.

She turned around in surprise, and saw the Bio-Exorcist in his maroon wedding tuxedo standing in front of her, as if he had never been murdered by toxic orange juice.

"No, no you're dead. Barbara, she... and then I..." Lydia stammered.

"Oh I'm dead, but don't feel so special Princess. I was dead long before Barbara or you did anythin' to me... and so... 'til death do you part." He told her. She looked down at her hand and saw the ring he had forced onto her finger so many years ago.

He was coming closer to her with that leer on his face.

Lydia opened her eyes, she was breathing quickly and was now wide awake. It had been months since she had had the dream, and it scared her more than anything that she was having the same one again.

She hadn't even thought of him or those events from her High School Freshman days for a while now, and now she knew it would be difficult to think of anything else that day.

Her clock said 4:30 am and she didn't need to be awake for another four hours, it was her first Friday of college and she had no classes on Fridays which meant she was supposed to get an extra day to sleep in... but no.

Damn ghosts.

Speaking of ghosts, she would be seeing her favorite ones later that day because now she was planning on spending the weekend back home. A week ago she couldn't wait to get out of that place and her and Jack were looking forward to spending time with each other without either of their parents butting in, but she hadn't counted on being homesick.

Lydia pulled her covers up over her head and attempted to go back to sleep, she didn't want to be driving home tired as hell.

For the next few hours, Lydia slipped in and out of sleep and odd dreams of Jack being chased by a dog and her and Beetle Geuse going on a mission to find him but she had to make sure they had plane tickets and that they had enough ties.

When she woke up, feeling that going to sleep wasn't turning out to be very restful she tried to be quiet as she got ready to leave. She didn't want to disturb her roommate. Her roommate seemed nice, but she wasn't always there. Lydia hoped that she had been lucky in getting a nice roommate, but she had yet to find out.

Finally she was on the road heading home. It was an hour and a half drive home, and the time was passed by singing along loudly to the radio and thinking about seeing Jack again, seeing her dad and Adam and Barbara and of course putting her portfolio together.

She had made plans that when she got back home, she would be putting a High School portfolio together and then she would begin a new one with the work she began making in college. She hadn't taken a very good picture lately, but she knew that within time inspiration would strike again.

* * *

"Why not this one?"

"What, for the cover?"

"Yeah, I like it... it's really sick."

Lydia smiled up at Jack and missed the sheet she was trying to grab. "Thanks."

"No problem. What's it called again?"

"Bug Juice."

They were both silent for a while as Lydia worked and Jack watched her work and looked through her pictures. Lydia had been welcomed home by two sets of happy parents and she sat with them for hours, talking about her first week and how classes were boring as hell but then what did she expect.

Then Delia made them some supper and afterwards Lydia announced she would spend the rest of the evening working downstairs in the darkroom, which was where Jack had found her working on her portfolio.

He enjoyed watching her work, and enjoyed seeing the finished projects. She was amazingly talented and if he didn't like her so much he might have been insanely jealous.

"Why not Beetle Juice?" Jack asked.

The camera slipped out of Lydia's hands and fell to the floor. Had circumstances been different she may have sworn loudly and for a long time, but now she paid no attention to the camera.

_I must have heard wrong, I had to. Damn it, I have been jumpy all day... that name is the last one I want to hear today or ever._

"What?" Attempting to sound casual, her voice betrayed her when it squeaked. She pretended to clear her throat.

Jack was picking up her camera for her, wondering why she wasn't so worried when it fell. Seems like she should have been crying and making sure everything still worked all right... looked fine to him. Maybe she had a sixth sense about those things.

Realizing she had asked him a question, he shrugged before answering.

"Beetle Juice. You squashed a beetle to get this, right? Why not just go straight to the punch or whatever and call it Beetle-"

"No!"

"-Juice..." They said at the same time. Jack gave her a strange look.

"No what?"

Lydia froze and looked around with only her eyes before meeting Jack's gaze again. No sign of him, she didn't hear him or... smell him.

_Does that mean he's gone for good? Do Sandworms kill the dead a second time?_

"Lyds?"

"Beetle Juice..." she said, trying it out.

Betel Geuse opened his eyes. Someone had called him. Sitting up, he wondered if he should get ready, if this was his first job and something Juno had maybe arranged for him. Would he be getting all of his calls like this?

He pushed the covers back and smirked, it had been a female who called him anyway.

The smirk soon turned into a frown. _A mortal female. Who would -- _

"It doesn't feel right to call it that. But thanks for the uh... suggestion."

He could hear her, the connection was already so strong and she had only said his name once.

_"I feel like I have a real connection with her... like she is someone who could really understand me..."_

He couldn't see her, but he knew just which mortal would call him knowing full well what she was saying.

"Oh I get it. You don't take well to people suggesting changes to your art. You could have just said so instead of shouting at me." Jack said with a pout.

_What the -- no that works, let's just go with that._ Lydia thought, _I won't have to come up with an excuse all on my own now. Score._

"Aw I'm sorry Jack, I'm just not used to people doing that..." Jack turned his back to her. Lydia rolled her eyes, God forbid she hurt his ego a tiny bit.

"I promise, calling it... Beetle... instead of Bug Juice was a good idea, it just wasn't what I wanted. I apologize and -- _Jack!_ Just look at me!"

By this time she had glimpsed a bit of Jack's face while trying to walk around him during her apology and she had seen him try not to smile though go on with his little pout.

Damn it he was lucky he was so cute.

"Jack." she said sternly, trying not to laugh. "You better turn around this instant, come over to me all slow and sexy like and say 'It's okay baby, I forgive you.'" She made her voice go an octave lower than normal in an attempt to do a sexy man voice. Quickly, she added, "And then you have to just take me and you gotta kiss the heck out of me."

_Aw my girl's cheatin' on me_ Betel Geuse thought, he was getting a little nauseated by the mushy apology but now it sounded like it might be getting good.

Jack had turned around and was smirking at her, how was it that even after months and months of dating, that look could still make her want to melt?

"If that's all it takes... It's okay baby, I forgive you."

But the kiss, though amazing as always, was not as long as Lydia would have liked. He soon was pulling away and Lydia stuck her bottom lip out at him.

"Stop it," he said before nipping at her lip. "You have to get your damn portfolio done, don't make me have to be the responsible one for a change."

He pulled away from her and began to walk over to where he had been sitting before, but not before giving her bottom a nice smack.

"Get busy and I'll pick up where we left off."

_What the hell was that supposed to be? A soft core mushy pile of shit?_ Betel thought as he stood up out of bed.

He was getting annoyed that he could still hear the girl _and_ her pansy boy... shit what was her name. Didn't really fucking matter.

Though he couldn't remember her name, he remembered clearly that she was always sheltered from him by that dumb bitch in the attic and her pansy ass husband.

He had to find a way to be able to _see_ the girl, not just hear her. Then he could find out if she was still in the same house. It would be so much easier to find a way into the house if only he could see what she saw, if only he could make there be a way for her to say his name a second and third time. There was nothing against the rules if you responded to someone calling you. Even if you were on probation.

He paused in his pacing, the two were kissing again. The kid, he could start there. The lucky bastard who ended up with what was meant to be his.

"Jack."

So many ideas were forming in his head but they were interrupted by a soft moan behind him. Turning, he saw that the whore he'd left in the bed rolled over in her sleep and the sheets didn't move all the way with her. He could see the delicious curve of her ass in the dark.

Betel Geuse was through with plotting that night, right now he had a killer erection to take care of.  



	4. Chapter Three

**A/N **This is a long chapter that I am SO happy I am done with. I was SO SICK of editing, but my beta was overjoyed with this to say the least so I think it's done enough. And thank you for all the reviews! Seriously, I start thinking of the reviews in random places and I get this big huge grin on my face and people are scared because usually I look pissed off... well, enjoy!**  
**

**Chapter Three**

"Fuck!"

Black blood trickled down along his forehead. Betel had been attempting to shave the front of his scalp, trying to at least resemble his old self.

Something must have startled the girl, though, because he heard her clearly when she gave a high pitched shriek.

It was his first day back on the job, so she really had to get the fuck out of his head.

"Adam! Barbara! If you wanted me to wake up you could have just set my alarm!"

_Her voice is like a nail pounding into my balls - wait a sec. Those are the names of the Maitlands right? The girl must still be living with her parents..._

This could make things easier. Betel set down the bloody razor and concentrated on the girl. It was getting harder to hear things around her but her voice remained clear in his head. A muffled male voice spoke, Adam perhaps.

Then she replied, "Aw, I'm sorry, I've missed you guys too... let me get up fully and shower, then the day is yours."

_What the hell is she talking about? If I have to go all day listening to her one sided conversations, somebody is getting stabbed in the face._

At first he thought hearing her voice would be helpful but now it was only confusing and head ache inducing.

"I don't want to deal with this SHIT!" He'd go without shaving, they would just have to fucking deal with him looking like a pansy. Without bothering to clean his face, he left.

After appearing in The Waiting Room, he had to repeat his name several times to the Miss Argentina receptionist and still she wasn't convinced it was him. Giving her some convincing evidence, mostly in the form of obscene language and hand gestures, she soon let him in to see Juno, anything to get him to leave her alone.

"It's show time." He muttered, not feeling at all like it was.

"What happened to your face?" Was the first thing Juno said to him when he entered her office. Taking a seat, he had to smirk.

"Aw, I was born with it, sweet cheeks. Come on, I don't ask what's been keeping you from shaving that mustache. It would be rude."

Juno pursed her lips, "Oh yes, because you are the epitome of good manners."

Betel extended his arms and shrugged innocently, an act that became slightly believable with his new appearance.

"So come on, who's my first client? How much am I gettin' paid? Is revenge on the list of specialties I offer? Any job benefits? I need some basic**info'** here!" He slammed his hands on her desk, he was getting pumped, excited. It had been too long since he had done a good job and he couldn't wait to get back into the business.

"You won't be seeing any clients today... or anytime soon."

Betel's mouth hung open, "WHAT?"

Without even offering any comfort to the man she had just brutally disappointed, Juno place an extremely large book on her desk.

Betel groaned and placed his head in his hands. He knew that book. He had to read it hundreds of years ago, when he didn't know any better that rules were BORING and always made to be broken.

"Not until you've read through this book and retained enough information from it to pass a thorough exam."

He groaned louder and leaned back in his chair. "You have got to be shitting me. I did that already and I passed!"

"Yes, and it's high time you were re-evaluated, especially since you've been in jail for the past ten months and it has been well over a few centuries since you've gone by any of the rules. Also -"

"I go by _some_ of them!"

"Also!" Juno continued, her anger flaring at being interrupted. "This is the latest revised edition. Take as long as you need to." She slid the book to him with a cold smile.

Betel stared at the cover

**

Handbook for the Bio-Exorcist in Training  
Revised Edition Version 5,674,532.2

**

_I'm gonna burn you._

Obediently he took the book and stood up to go home.

"Where are you going Geuse?"

It took so much will power not to turn around and use the book to bash her head in. He should win a fucking award.

"Home. To read."

"You're still on the job, you have work to do." Pointing at the large pile of paper work, she had the same cold smile as before. "Just like old times, eh?"

"It's been centuries since I've done paperwork or filed _anything!_ You _can't_ be serious!"

"Have you ever known me to tell a joke, Geuse? Get to work, I'm sure it will all come back to you."

The rest of the day was spent filing papers and thinking up ways to destroy Juno.

_The fucking bitch._

* * *

Too quickly the weekend was over, and Lydia was loading up her car again to drive back to college. Jack had already left as he had farther to travel. 

Lydia stood in the front hallway of her home and smiled at both the Maitlands and the Deetzes.

"Well, I'm off. See you next weekend." she said with a wave.

She hadn't thought it would be that big of a deal to be gone this time but she was soon getting hugs from both sets of parents.

Her father surprised her the most. Not with his hug, but when he looked down at her and said, "I like it when you visit."

"Dad," she laughed softly, "It's only been the first week of school." Charles only shrugged.

"I like it when you visit," he said again. "I miss you so much when you leave." Charles stepped back from hugging her and looked down at her fondly, "You're still my little girl."

With one last goodbye to everyone, Lydia got back into her car and drove back to college. Where she knew no one.

She looked in the rear view mirror as her house shrank in the distance and wished she had gotten a picture of everyone in it smiling. It was something she missed so much at her school, just to see a family member or a friend or even a boyfriend just smiling at her.

Of course her roommate smiled, but it was just a polite smile.

_She probably feels as awkward as I do. Maybe I should try talking to her. It would be nice to look forward to going to college to see friends. I don't want people thinking of me as the "ghost girl"._

Blinking at the lame little joke she just made in her heard, Lydia snorted at herself.

"So what, at least I'd be the ghost with the most."

Lydia stopped laughing as she realized just what she said out loud... but it was a little bit funny. After getting over the shock of quoting the sleaze ball, she began to giggle.

"Hey! That's _my_ saying!" Betel shouted and stood up angrily.

"Get back to work Betel and Just. Shut. Up!" Juno said, She was getting annoyed to say the least. Something must have snapped in Betel's brain long ago because he was always having random outbursts and talking to himself and making his dumb little rhymes.

Betel narrowed his eyes at Juno before bending over the filing cabinet again. He heard the girl, he heard what she said. Now all he could hear was her stupid giggles.

"You're making the list little girl." He warned in a quiet voice, but no one could hear him.

* * *

"Hey there." Lydia said to her roommate's back as she walked in carrying her suitcase. 

"Howdy Lydia." The girl replied. "How was your weekend?"

_Shit, how did she remember my name? I don't remember hers! It's okay, just move on and answer and never try to guess it. That would be comiccally horrible._

"It was good, got to spend time with my friends and family and even my boyfriend a little bit."

"That's good."

"You do anything?"

"Not really, just worked on my art and hung out at the cafe. You know, pulling it loner style." She said with a shrug.

Lydia laughed, her and Roommate Girl would get along fine. She'd just have to look over her should at an assignment sometime to see what her name was.

No problem.

* * *

"Robert Kanard goes under... 'K'... where the FUCK is 'K'!?" 

"Right after 'J' and just before 'L'." Juno said helpfully.

"You stay out of it, woman."

There was at last a silence for a while before:

"That. Is. **IT!**" Betel yelled.

"No, you've hardly made a dent in the paperwork and it's been a week. That is far from it." Juno informed him.

He pointed at her with a look of fury on his face, the look mad him look somewhat insane as well, which he more than likely was in her opinion.

"Shut up! I've had enough of you Juno. I don't need you and I definitely don't need this stupid book!" And with that he threw the book at her and walked out.

"Are you quitting?" She asked after catching the book smoothly.

"What the FUCK do you _think_ I'm doing?" Then he was gone.

Juno sat back with a smile on her face, that had taken less time than she had thought it would. She knew Betel would never be able to go back to paperwork, not with _his_ ego.

_And he was always so painfully melodramatic._

Now he was out there in the world, bound to get into trouble. This time Juno would find a way to lock him up for good.

Of course it would have to be something _really_ horrible this time. The Board of Carnage were already pissed off at having to be at Betel Geuse's hearing for harassment, especially considering what his job was.

No matter, he would do something, and then Juno would have the opportunity to take out Geuse herself. She looked forward to it immensely.

* * *

Betel tore into his house and pushed a nearby table over, sending candles flying everywhere. Annoyed at the small fire beginning to spread, he waved a hand and put it out. 

There was one good thing despite all of this, he had stopped hearing that girl days ago. It was nice... but still!

A week he had wasted in that hell hole. That week had been worse than the whole ten months he spent with Kise in jail.

Or Benjamin Kise according to his file. In jail for shoplifting. Not even a minor shoplifting job, but shoplifting in the mortal world while possessing a small boy.

_Guess it was a... "minor shoplifting" hahaha. Good one._

Betel smirked. "I should have gotten to know him better, we could have been... associates."

His file said he would be in jail for the next few years, as that was his third offense.

"Amazing, you think they would have tried to put _me_ in there for that long... but then that was the first time I had been caught... that does put a damper on my opinion of Kise."

Still, there was an idea forming. The idea made him laugh, and he laughed loudly for a long time.

* * *

"It's the weekend!" Lydia announced happily as she opened the door to her dorm room with a bang. 

She had been expecting her roommate, Courtney -- yes she had remembered her name without making an ass out of herself -- to shout happily with her.

Instead, Courtney looked up from where she was sitting on the lap of some cute guy and turned red in the face.

Lydia's face also began to turn red and she began to stammer, "I-It's okay, my bag is packed and right here so-so yeah I'm ready. I'm ready to go and I'll see you later Courtney and... nice meeting you Lap Guy, okay see you next week bye."

Taking her suitcase she closed the door behind her and was torn between hiding in shame and laughing really, _really_ hard.

When she was behind the wheel and driving home, her mind was made up and she was laughing uncontrollably. Every time she thought of the look on Courtney's face and how her face must have looked ten times worse she would erupt into a fit of laughter.

Her cellphone rang, and keeping a careful eye on the road, she fished around for it in her purse.

"Hey babe. On your way home?"

"I sure am. Jack, you'll never guess what happened though!"

"I won't!" He agreed, "You should tell me."

Lydia repeated the story to him, trying not to giggle the whole way through but when she got to the end she began laughing loudly again.

Jack was silent for a moment. "Yeeeaaah... well um... hey I'm an hour away from home, how far are you?"

Lydia sighed, it was a funny story, Jack just didn't know what funny was obviously. "Little less than an hour, are you going to come over today?"

"Hells yeah I am."

That made her smile, "Good, I miss you."

"Damn right you do, 'cause I miss you too. But I'm going to go, see you in a bit."

"See you."

* * *

"I'm home!" Lydia shouted when she banged open the door, then quickly looked around to make sure she hadn't walked in on either of the couples living there doing something she would never want to see. Ever. 

Thankfully her parents seemed to be gone, their car wasn't in the driveway, and the Maitlands were in the front room to welcome her home.

"Where's Dad and Delia?" She asked after Barbara had hugged her tightly. _It must be horrible for them to be stuck at home with only my parents of all people. _

"They went on a date somewhere, but I think they plan on being back later tonight." Barbara told her.

"Ew." Wrinkling her nose at the thought of them dating, Lydia began to drag her suitcase up the stairs to her room. It was bad enough they shared the same bed.

"Is Jack coming over today?" Adam called up the stairs.

"Yes, but I'm not sure when. He's probably just driving into town so it might be half an hour still before he comes around."

"Great! I want to show you what I just finished." He told her.

When she came back downstairs, he led her over to the model and threw back the sheet while looking extremely proud of himself, "It's the new McDonalds they just put in!"

Lydia was impressed at the talent Adam had, but at the same time she was amused at how excited he would get over any new building, even a fast food place.

"That's amazing Adam, I can practically smell the grease." She told him with a grin. Adam shrugged modestly but had a wide grin on his face.

Time with the Maitlands passed by quickly and Lydia soon heard a car pull into the driveway. Growing excited, she hurried to the window hoping to see Jack's rusty old car but instead saw Delia's shiny purple vehicle.

Not that she was disappointed to see her parents, but still.

"Lydia! I thought you might beat us home." Charles said with a smile when they came in the front door.

"Hello Lydia, have you unpacked yet?" Delia asked.

"Kind of... not really, my suitcase is in my room."

"Oh that's good, we met Jack on the way here, he was getting some gas."

Lydia's face brightened up. "Thanks Delia!" Lydia gave her a quick hug before leaving the room. Delia had her moments, like then, where Lydia started to like her.

Walking into the kitchen, Lydia got a glass of water and saw Delia come in out of the corner of her eye as she took a sip.

"You know, I've been off and on about that boy, but I'm just not sure if I approve of him now."

_And then the moment is ruined and I am reminded of why we don't get along so well._ Lydia nodded, but tried to tune her out.

"I mean, you have a clear path ahead of you, you know what you want to do with your life and where you are going... But that Jack boy... He just doesn't seem as level headed as you are at all. I mean, you've been dating for only a few months so it isn't _so_ bad, but I just get nervous at the thought of you two growing more serious."

"Serious?" Lydia repeated, hoping to God this wasn't going to be another sex talk. Honestly, Delia needed to just get an opinion about Jack and stick with it.

"You know, _engaged._" Delia whispered the word as if it were a curse.

Lydia laughed, and before she could help herself, she was saying, "Would you prefer it if I got hitched to the most eligible bachelor since Valentino came over instead?"

There was a look of confusion on Delia's face before she said with a look of pity, "Oh dear, Otho's gay. I'm sorry."

Lydia laughed louder this time and shook her head, "I meant Beetle Juice."

"Shut. Up! I know you want me, but I'm trying to work here little girl! Big people are making big plans!" Betel Geuse's shouts echoed in his empty home.

"Who?" Delia asked.

"Me. Talking about me. Just can't leave me in peace. The little bitch is losing her favor with me! Doesn't matter if she was good looking a few years back, I am getting _annoyed!_"

Unfortunately for Betel Geuse, Delia and Lydia heard nothing from him.

"Never mind." Lydia said, "But don't worry, Jack and I are taking things extra slow." _I don't know why, but we are... for some unspoken reason._

Lydia took her glass and went back to the front room where Adam and Barbara were. Saying Betel Geuse's name out loud had made her think back on the weekend before.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Barbara asked. "You look like you have something unpleasant on your mind."

"I was just thinking about last weekend with Jack."

Barbara was silent and Adam was too, but that may have been because he naturally tuned out girl talk.

"Jack didn't know what he was saying... but it wasn't an accident. It's hard to explain but it was about one of my photos he saw and he suggested the name be Beetle Juice, only he said it three times... but nothing happened." Lydia told them.

Betel Geuse didn't leave his home but he could see the girl and everything around her in his mind. He could see the Maitlands, both frozen in shock after hearing her say his name so plainly. They looked like they were in the front room but it had changed since the last time he was there.

Lydia was afraid she had frozen them forever, for it was a long time before anyone said anything again but finally Adam spoke. "Nothing... happened?"

"Right, and I was wondering, I mean it didn't say anything about it in your handbook but does that mean the sandworm killed him... again? I mean is he really gone?"

Betel Geuse laughed so loudly he was surprised the three didn't hear him.

"Kill me again? HA! You only wish babe."

"I'm not really sure," Adam said,"it might mean that... but..."

"But maybe we should just stay cautious and not say his name..." Barbara said.

"In case he can choose who he answers or in case there's something else going on entirely. Though it would be nice to believe he's gone for good, I have a feeling it takes more than sandworms to get rid of a ghost for good." Adam said.

"Especially the ghost with the most, you buncha losers." Betel rolled his eyes at how dumb these people could be.

And while it irritated him immensely, Betel had to wonder just what made this connection between him and the girl so different, it was stronger than what was normal.

Usually when people called him it would be a flash of their voice, the second time he would see them in a flash and the third time he was there. This was strange... but then it wasn't often that a mortal called him more than once knowing full well who they were calling.

Come to think of it, she was the first mortal who had ever lived knowing the secret to calling him...

Whatever.

Headlights shown through the window and he saw how happy the girl looked when she exclaimed "It's Jack!"

He'd never seen her look so happy before. She was always so moody and... wanting to die when he saw her last... and horrible at charades. Maybe that's why she wanted to die, no one wanted to be on her team for party games.

But then this was the first time he had seen her since he tried to marry her, and she had changed more than just looking a bit happier. She'd gotten... taller for one thing.

Lydia opened the door and there he stood on the doorstep, the little punk who'd stolen his bride. Look at him, with his stupid brown hair spiked up. Metal sticking out of his ears and face and a girly little outfit on.

Then they greeted each other by slobbering on each others faces. It was enough to make you puke, and Betel nearly did.

"Hey babe." Jack said with a grin.

"Don't call her babe, you wannabe bad ass." Betel said angrily. He wasn't exactly sure what it was about the kid, but he was pissing him off. Maybe it was that girly voice.

"Hey Jack, c'mon." She took him by the hand and led him upstairs. Betel watched them, curious to see if the boy had it in him to become a man.

Once they entered her room, Jack pulled her close and said, "I missed you." Then he was kissing her again.

Pulling away, Lydia smiled up at him and said "I missed you too." She went to her bed and began to unpack the suitcase that lay on it. Instead of offering to help, Jack laid down on her bed and watched her unpack.

_Her eyes still look the same, so large. They make her look naive and curious... she still wears those neat costumes she makes herself..._

_How the hell does she end up dating someone who looks like... that?_

This was starting to get boring and Betel tried to go back to what he was doing in his house, but he found that he couldn't leave.

"Fuck, dammit, shit and hell! This is going to get old fast!"

"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow Lydia?" Jack asked.

"That's what her name is! I knew it was 'L-something'!" Betel shouted triumphantly.

"I'm working on a paper for English and then I promised last weekend to spend some more time with a few friends."

Jack nodded. "The ones I can't meet?"

"No..." Lydia said carefully, she had never said he couldn't meet them. There was just always a reason why he shouldn't, and it made her feel like crap to lie to him especially since she was a crappy liar and he could see right through them.

"Great," he said with a grin and sat up. "I'll come over tomorrow and spend time with you guys then."

"Well..."

"Well what?" He asked, his grin fading.

Unable to meet his gaze, she tried to come up with an answer. "It's just that they're... shy... and..."

"Shy? Is that the story this time?"

"What?" Lydia froze in the act of putting a pair of socks away. She really didn't want Jack to get mad at her, but she had no idea what to do about this sort of thing.

"Yeah, I'm sure you don't know." Jack said, and laid back own, turning his face away from her. Betel looked between the two of them and chuckled.

_The boy is super pissed and Lydia looks hella nervous. The boy acts more like a girl than she does... I'm definitely watching a soap opera._

"Then what's going on the next day? Dentist appointment this time?"

"Someone's catty today." Betel chuckled.

"No!" Lydia said angrily. Last weekend she had to go to the doctors because she was having some of the worst period cramps she had ever experienced.

_So excuse me for not wanting my boyfriend to come so that neither one of us would feel awkward. But no, of course instead of just understanding he has to go and act like his ego took a major blow._ Lydia thought, wishing she would just turn around and say it instead of facing her dresser and thinking it bitterly.

"The next day I was planning on spending time with you but you can forget it if you're being an asshole! I can barely talk to you for five minutes anymore without you turning into the worlds biggest jack ass!" She told him over her shoulder.

"Oh I'm an asshole? Because I think my girlfriend doesn't want me around her friends as if she's embarrassed of me?" Jack stood up now, and was walking towards her.

"Yeah!" Lydia said, turning around she prepared to tell him how she felt this time instead of just resorting to name calling.

"Yeah?"

Lydia faltered. "I mean... no!" _What do I mean? What was the question?_

"Just tell him you want a real man babe, kick him out and say my name one more time." Betel said with a smirk. He was sick of this soap opera shit especially since he had been hoping for some hardcore action.

"Well you seem a little confused, so I'll just give you some space so you can get straightened out." Jack said and stormed out of her room.

Betel was glad to see she didn't follow him out or try to stop him... and he didn't mind watching her either since she was still good looking, but all she was doing now was sitting on her bed and crying silently.

It was creepy.

"Hey come on, knock it off. You call me here and force me to watch you yet all I get is soap opera crap and now you're crying. Cut it out." He told her, getting annoyed.

"Oh I get it, you're crying because you're so happy to finally get rid of him, I know I would be." Betel watched her as she cried a little longer and sighed. It was getting really annoying to be there.

"When is this going to STOP?" He screamed but no one could hear him and so he got no answer.

But then the area around Lydia started to get fuzzy, the only thing that was clear was her face but he could tell that she was walking around doing something. Things around her were becoming less clear by the minute and he wondered what she was doing.

She was carrying something and walking into a room that was connected to her bedroom. He heard a familiar sound... it was the same sound the prison shower had made when he turned it on and he began to get excited.

"I love shower scenes!" He said happily and watched hungrily as through the fog he saw her take her shirt off, but that was when he stopped being able to see her.

"COME ON!" He was back in his home and now all he could do was hear Lydia as she cried in the shower.

"This is why I'm doing this, so I don't have to deal with people doing this to me. This is why I'm doing this." He told himself, trying to calm down. Normally he would have shouted and screamed all he wanted, but he had work to do.

* * *

The next day Betel paced around his house. His plan was excellent, it was magnificent. Things were almost ready to fall into place, but... he needed _something._

As much as he hated to admit it, Betel needed help. Thinking over the list of past associates in his head, he tried to think of anyone who would still be willing to help him.

None of the names seemed very likely, since most of the people he worked with ended up pissing him off and made him do something very bad... but then he got a wicked idea. He got an idea that would help him kill two birds with one stone... figuratively speaking.

He disappeared from his home and a second later reappeared in front of the jail he had just been released from.

Looking at the doors, he noticed a pair of policy guards smoking a few feet away from it, probably on a break.

"Oh, we can't have slackers on the job." Betel said with a smirk and pointed at the pair, their heads banged together with a loud crack and then he made them fly up onto the roof, but not before making one switch outfits with him.

"Didn't even break a sweat." He said with a grin and pushed the doors open. He knew how to get where he wanted now, but later would be the hard part and so he had to move fast.

Soon he was standing outside of his old cell where Kise lay on the mattress and stared up at the ceiling.

"Hey pal, don't you have a new cellmate yet? You really gotta work on your people skills."

"Oh fuck!" Kise exclaimed and fell out of his bunk. He scrambled to his feet saying, "How the hell did you--" then Kise saw the policy man outside his cell and relaxed.

"My bad, thought you were someone else." He explained.

"Someone else?" Betel smirked, "I'm insulted. Who the hell could you mistake _me_ with?"

"Um..." Kise didn't know if it would be an insult or not to tell the policy guard he mistook him for Betel Geuse.

"Okay enough of the crap, listen, I need your help but you gotta be helpful. No saying you'll help and then scram. I'm serious, help me and I'll get you out of here."

"What? Oh shit you are him!" Kise exclaimed, backing up against the cell wall farthest from Geuse.

"Well fucking duh! Now shut up and listen!"

"Why the hell should I listen to you, you wanna destroy me!"

"Because I can get you out, dumb ass."

Kise looked at him suspiciously but stayed where he was. "I'm listening."

"Good." Betel smirked and took out a key. "I got big plans and I found out today that it would be easier with some help and after reading your file I think you probably got some talent."

"What are we stealing?"

"Uh... a few things. I'm stealing one of the things after getting you outta here, but I gotta do that part alone, I can't risk being seen with you where I'm going. I'm actually a free man and you aint." He said as he opened the cell door. With Kise out of the cell, he would be able to be sent to Betel's home.

"But after I do what I need to do here, the real fun can begin." Betel told him with a wide grin.

Taking a few cautious steps towards him, Kise asked, "How long have you been planning... whatever your plan is?"

"Uh... a day or so I guess."

"What!?"

"Shut up, and scram! I'll meet you soon. If my place is a mess when I get there I'm sending you to sandworm land." Betel warned before sending him to his home.

Looking around, he got some odd looks from a few of the convicts in the cells. Smirking, he threw the keys to one. _This should be good..._ And then he ran for it. He had a few things to take care of and now he would have to move fast to make up for the time lost spent answering Kise's damn questions.

* * *

Kise had been alone in Betel's house for several hours and during that time he considered running for it... but as he looked around at all of the contraptions in various places of the house and thought back on how easily Betel had gotten him out just for some help... well he figured the man would be better to have as an ally than an enemy. 

He was lounging on the couch sipping a beer he had found in the fridge when Betel appeared suddenly and collapsed into an overstuffed chair.

Kise sat up straight, getting his feet off the couch and held the beer can sheepishly.

"Um, I was going to replace it. I swear."

"Just shut up and get me one." Betel said and Kise was quick to do so.

Coming back from the kitchen, he handed Betel a beer. Taking a seat he watched Betel curiously. He couldn't see anything that Betel might have stolen but then he expected he would be impressed anyhow. Still, Kise was a bit disappointed that he hadn't been aloud to help in stealing whatever it was.

After gulping down half his beer, Betel set it on the end table and grinned up at Kise wildly.

"We're going to clear the path for us to get away with all of my amazing ideas, because I'm being watched. I know it. So we gotta get rid of her.

"You're going to get rid of... whoever after stealing from a jail? What did you steal anyhow?" Kise may have thought Betel was insane, but he was amazed by him anyhow.

Betel reached down and picked up a small cube from the floor, he threw it at Kise and laughed when he shrank away from it as though it were on fire.

"Is it safe?" Kise asked.

"For now."

Kise picked the object up carefully and looked at it in amazement. "I can't believe you stole one." He said, looking at his distorted reflection in the greenish black color of the shiny cube. "I've never seen a Nox Box up close before."

Betel shrugged with the wide grin still on his face.

"Who are we using it on?" Kise asked excitedly.

"Juno."

"That bitch." Kise said, shaking his head. He had met Juno several times. She was the one who saw to it personally that he be put in jail for years upon years.

Nodding, Betel said, "Tomorrow I think."

Betel smirked, thinking about his plans. Using a Nox Box would trap anyone you wanted and they would remain trapped until the one responsible for their imprisonment set them free.

She would be powerless in that box and powerless was the way Betel liked her. He would have to get more for the Maitlands, but it was too risky to steal so many at once this early in the game. There was time still to get more, time before he struck down the Maitlands for everything they did to him. They were the reasons he had been so powerless and so humiliated. They were the ones who would pay...

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a ring.

_I don't own a phone..._

"Hello?" A sleepy voice said.

_Don't tell me I'm still hearing her._ Betel thought, taking a long swig from his beer.

"Hello Lyds, it's Jack." Betel's hand tightened around his beer can, wishing it was the kids neck.

"Oh, hi." Lydia said, her tone suddenly sounding unhappy.

"Look, I know I pissed you off getting all moody again and I've been thinking how wrong I was to do that. I'm sorry and I promise I'll try not to get so angry again, I know you just wanted to spend some time with your friends."

There was silence for a while and Betel listened intently, wanting to know what Lydia was going to say to that.

"Maybe you should come over." She suggested.

"WHAT?!"

"I was just saying it was a good plan --

"Not you Kise!" Betel stood up and threw his beer can angrily. He focused on hearing them again and heard Jack saying he would be right over.

Without thinking it over, Betel told Kise "I'll be back later, don't stay up. I have to... do something." And then he disappeared.

Kise looked around, he was growing a tiny bit nervous over the fact that he might have just made alliances with one of the most dangerous _and_ insane ghosts there was.

While Betel couldn't be in the mortal world on his own without someone calling him, he already had a connection to it and it was easy to only be there in a different form.

As discreetly as possible, Betel appeared in the model Adam had built. No one was around, but he could hear people in other rooms, he could hear their footsteps. Looking around, he walked to the edge of the model and jumped down onto the chair next to it. He climbed it and soon reached his destination, the living room window.

It fit his plans so nicely that they had never decided to move the model back up to the attic.

He heard footsteps of someone coming down the stairs and he hid behind the curtains. Peeking around cautiously, he saw Lydia as she walked past looking like someone who had just woken up. She wore sweats and a tank top and her hair stuck in every direction.

_How does she get it to do that without grease?_

Finally he heard the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway, and turning around he saw the headlights of Jack's car.

Pushing and pulling as hard as he could, he managed to slide the window open a crack. Reaching a hand out, he pointed at the boy just as he was closing his car door. And then Betel was full size again in an even worse looking body than his was after he had to clean it.

He put his hands into the boys jean pockets, it was fucking cold and the idiot apparently had no idea what a jacket was. There was something in the kids right pocket and it made the jeans really uncomfortable.

Pulling whatever it was out, he laughed loudly when he saw the black velvet box.

"Wow, this kid has some _damn_ horrible timing... Still... what an idea... Yes that can work nicely." He muttered to himself as a slow smile formed on Jack's face. The smile was an eerie thing to see if anyone else had been there.

But no one was, and so no one saw the odd moment when he threw his girlfriends engagement ring with a powerful arm. Someone in the next town over would be getting a surprise in their back yard, but fuck it if Betel cared.

"Throwing rocks again Jack? I swear, can't leave you in the driveway for more than a second." He turned and saw Lydia standing in the doorway and smiling at him. Or smiling at Jack.

_So much for her being mad at Jack. Does she have no self respect at all that she would just forgive the kid so easily?_

"Hey babe." He leered at her, "Are ya gonna invite me in or what?" It was so weird hearing that kids voice instead of his own. It was worse than when his head had been shrunken.

"Maybe... I haven't decided yet."

Betel smirked as he walked towards her. Coming closer to her he was glad to see that he was still taller than her. Placing a hand on the door he leaned over her and said in a low voice, "Want me to help you decide?"

Lydia hesitated, "You're acting kind of strange."

Betel was about to back off and apologize, figuring that's what the boy probably would have done, probably would have been on his knees and begging her to forgive him right away but Lydia spoke again.

"Come on, it's cold out here. But be quiet, everyone's asleep."

Nodding, he followed her inside and smirked when she led him up to her room. She had no idea how dangerous of an idea that could be.

Betel threw himself into Lydia's bed and snuggled down into her pillows. "You have such a comfortable bed." He said honestly. "I'm serious, come over here and feel how comfortable it is." He said, reaching out for her hand and pulling her towards him.

Lydia was trying not to but she couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face. "You're a dork." She said quietly as she sat down next to him. He sat up as well. They weren't going to have a serious conversation, were they? He came here to have some fun, and fun fit into his plans nicely.

"Look, Jack I want to apologize and I think maybe I should be honest about certain things."

Betel tried to remember what the fight was, and smiled when he came up with the answer, "About your friends?"

Lydia nodded but Betel interrupted her when she began to speak. "Forget about it." he said with a shrug, "I trust you. You'll introduce them when you're ready."

Apparently that had been the right thing to say because the next thing he knew she was hugging him.

_Good thing, 'cause I pulled that right out of my ass... but I didn't posses this pussy boy for a hug._ He thought as his arms automatically went around her waist to pull her close to him. It was weird to be hugging her without her squirming to get away.

With his arms still tight around her waist, Betel laid back down and pulled her with him so that she was halfway on top of him.

"Told you it was comfortable." He said and Lydia laughed. Betel looked up at her as she moved to straddle him and smirked. _She wants me. But she's so naive she probably has no idea what the position looks like, probably just thought it would be more comfortable to sit like that._

The thought made him want to laugh.

"Do you want to stay the night Jack?" She asked. _I wish she would stop calling me that._

"You know it babe." _Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she **does** want me._ He grinned and smoothed his hands up her thighs, or tried to anyway but she stood up before he could do it properly.

"Good." Lydia said and smiled, "I'll go get you a blanket and pillow."

Quickly, Betel reached up and pulled her back to him as he sat up. Resting his hands on the curve of her hips, he urged her to turn around and looked up at her. "I think," He said, planting soft kisses just above her bellybutton, "you'll keep me warm enough without needing an extra blanket. You got me hot already."

"Jack, what are you... you always sleep on the couch, you... dork..." She was trying to tease him but he was getting quite the reaction from her.

Betel smirked and pulled her sweats down just enough to give him more skin for his lips to trail down gently.

"Do I?" He asked innocently, smoothing a hand down her thigh before trailing it back up with the lightest of touches. He smirked when he felt her tremble.

"Yes." Lydia whispered, running a hand through his hair. As if she realized how close they were getting to doing something she had no experience with, she squirmed away.

_Aw there's the Lydia I know._ He smirked when he saw how she was already breathing harder than normal.

"Um... what were we talking about?"

"You're bed I think, and how it's too big for just you." Betel lied as he leaned back, resting on his elbows and looking her up and down.

Sending him a weird look, Lydia went to her dresser and picked up her brush. "You're acting odd Jack."

"So you've said." He stood up and walked to her until he was standing behind her. Taking the brush from her, he set it back down on her dresser before turning his attention to her neck. "Now it's my turn to tell you what you are." He murmured so that his breath tickled her ear.

"And what am I?" Lydia asked softly.

Nipping at the soft skin of her jaw line, he said, "A tease."

Lydia scoffed and pulled away. "A tease?"

He was getting tired of her pulling away and so he pulled her back to him roughly. "Yeah, you are. Prancing around in that little tank top, bending down at every opportunity so I have to stare at your ass."

"I do not!" Lydia shouted, but he could tell she was more amused than angry.

Betel placed a finger on her lips, "Shh, everyone's asleep. Remember?"

Lydia pushed his hand away and was probably about to tell him off, but he didn't want to hear it and so quieted her again. This time by pulling her closer so he could finally taste those tantalizing lips.

Immediately she was kissing him back and bringing her hands up to hold onto him tightly. Smoothing his hands up and down her waist, he dared to smooth one down even farther and grabbed her ass.

"Mmmm." The noise was mixed with pleasure and surprise, and as it escaped her throat she bit his bottom lip. Betel didn't know if that was an accident or not, but it just made him want her more. His hand that cupped her ass urged her leg up to wrap around his waist and she quickly obeyed. Soon she was wrapping her other leg around his waist and Betel was carrying her with a strength that was not the boys.

Carrying her to the bed, he tossed her onto it. Laughing, Lydia tried to sit up but her laughter faded when she saw how intensely Jack was looking at her. She had never seen that look in his eyes before and it sent a rush through her. Pulling at his jeans, she urged him to come back to her.

When she urged him towards her it made Betel burn for her, when she acted as though she not only wanted him, but as though she _needed_ to feel him.

Betel joined her in the bed and was about to kneel over her to return his attentions to her but was apparently too slow for her for she grabbed him by the collar of the kids shirt and pulled him too her, this time she took control and kissed him passionately, and Betel felt as though he was the one being seduced instead.

He was getting lost in the taste of her, and as she squirmed her body against the one he borrowed, it was a heady thing to be lost in. He felt her pull at his shirt and he broke the kiss to allow her to strip him and toss the shirt away carelessly.

Forcing himself to keep a cool head despite how she made the blood in his veins boil, he forced himself not to use his powers and make their clothes disappear so that he could take her that much sooner. As if reading his mind, Lydia broke the kiss so that she could sit up.

Meeting his gaze, Lydia was quick to divest herself of her shirt. Smoothing her hair away from her face, Betel grazed her lower lip gently with his thumb and watched mesmerized as she flicked her tongue out. When she moved her lips slightly to capture it in that delicious mouth, she sucked on it gently before releasing it.

A growl escaped his throat and Betel pulled her underneath him roughly as he covered her mouth with his own. Smoothing his hand down her stomach he let it travel further until he could touch her just _there_ through her sweat pants. Using his hand to massage her, he could feel the heat through the fabric of her pajama bottoms.

Lydia whimpered and reached down to try and shove her own pants down. Always there to help, Betel hooked his fingers underneath both her sweats and her underwear and pulled them off impatiently.

Betel paused after throwing her clothes out of the way, taking the sight of her in hungrily. There was such a difference between taking a dead whore and the way Lydia was giving herself to him. He wanted to get used to that difference. She was intoxicating.

Trailing his hand up her thigh, he kissed her knee softly, his eyes taking in her most secret of places. It amazed him how soft her skin was, it had been so long since he had felt such soft skin and he knew he wanted to be able to touch it forever.

"Please," Lydia whispered.

Smirking, Betel crawled back over her, pausing briefly for a taste of those perfect breasts. "Please what?" He whispered, taking delight in teasing her.

"Just touch me, dammit!" She said, growing impatient from her desire and not wanting to take time at all.

"Spread yourself for me." Without question she slid a hand down and used two fingers to do as he commanded. He let her wait a moment longer, until finally he touched her. His touch was uncharacteristically slow and gentle, but he enjoyed teasing her and chuckled when she moved her hips against his hand.

Watching her face for every reaction she might make, he explored her folds that were so wet and hot. He watched the rise and fall of her chest and listened intently to the noises she made. Noises he was causing.

Just when she seemed to be getting close to the edge, Betel paused his movements. Taking her hand that so generously spread herself for him, he brought those two fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. She watched him and he could see the desire in those large eyes.

Standing, he unbuttoned the kids jeans and tossed the remainder or his clothes away so that he stood naked before her. He saw Lydia's gaze travel down the boys chest and rest at his crotch, and curious he glanced down as well.

"Dammit." _Well it wasn't... so bad._ "It'll do."

"Hmmm?" Lydia asked, not all of her senses working very well in the state of desire she was in.

Crawling back over her, Betel shook his head. "Nothing. It's all... perfect."

She didn't seem to care and just pulled him back over her. "I want you so much." She murmured against his lips.

"Mhmm." He had never been one for talking during sex, but wasn't about to stop her if she felt like it.

Holding her legs behind the knees, he urged them to wrap around his waist so that he could position himself at her entrance.

He was about to pound in and take her roughly, to let them both reach their release, but then she blurted out, "Be gentle!"

The words froze him for a second as he realized this would be her first time.

It took every ounce of willpower within him not to throw his head back and roar with laughter. Everything was just too perfect.

Instead he continued on with the charade of caring boyfriend and nodded slowly. "Don't worry, this is something you'll enjoy. All you have to do is... trust me."

Lydia nodded and held onto his shoulders tightly, so obviously nervous.

With eyes locked on hers, Betel slid in slowly, forcing himself to take as long as she needed and then he met the barrier. The reason he couldn't just take her.

Bending down, he did all he could think of and clamped his teeth down on the perfect skin of her neck as he took her virginity. She cried out and he remained still, waiting.

Nuzzling her neck, he kissed his way up her jawline and rubbed her thighs, urging her to just get over it. But of course he'd have to seem like he actually cared about her feelings and whatnot, so he did his best to be patient.

Soon, amidst his petting, she was moving against him. Leaning back to meet her gaze, Betel held her hips still and slowly began to move within her.

As their desire rose, their movements became more needy. With each thrust into her Lydia would moan and the sound of her pleasure was like erotic music to his ears.

"Ah Ja..." she never finished what she was going to say as Betel covered her mouth with his own. He wanted to hear his name amidst those beautiful noises she was making, not that stupid kids. Those noises that communicated to him just what pleasure _he_ was making her feel.

He was making noises of his own soon, the need for release becoming stronger. Burying his face in her neck, he kissed where his teeth had marked her earlier before leaning back again so he could watch her.

"So good," Lydia breathed out between moans. "Just, mmm, just a bit more... I think..."

Betel wasn't listening to her incoherent speech, but was instead focused on her body. Focused on how her hips came up to meet his in their frantic thrusts and when he felt her muscles twitch around him, he watched her back arch and took pleasure in the volume of her moans.

Feeling and watching her reach her orgasm sent him over the edge and his head fell back as he rode out the waves of utmost pleasure.

Their movements slowed, and Betel pulled out so that he could collapse beside her. The body he borrowed commanded that he breathe hard and he looked down at Lydia who had snuggled against him.

"Mmm, let's do that again." She said sleepily, closing her eyes.

Betel chuckled, "I don't think this body can do it again so soon... but I'll take you to my place sometime. I can go all day there."

Lydia was silent for a moment and he thought maybe she had fallen asleep.

"I don't know what that means," she said finally. "But I guess I really don't give a shit."

Smirking, Betel watched her as her breathing became more steady and she snuggled into his shoulder.

Though the body he was using demanded that he fall asleep too, he had to leave soon. But first he had to put together the final touch in this part of the plan.

Rising carefully, he went to her dresser and delivered his little surprise there. Moving the boys jeans in front of the dresser, he hoped the kid wasn't completely blind.

Climbing back under the covers, he pulled Lydia's sleeping form close to him one more time and closed his eyes before leaving the boys body and appearing back into his own home. Kise had passed out on the couch with a beer can in his hand.

Lighting up a cigarette, he lounged on his bed and chuckled. It just kept getting funnier every time he thought about it. Soon, though, he went to sleep and it was possibly the deepest sleep he had had in centuries.

* * *

Waking from a pleasant dream when sunlight shone down on him, Jack kept his eyes close and snuggled up to the body next to him. 

The apparently naked and very female body next to him. Snapping his eyes open, Jack was met with the sleeping face of his girlfriend.

"Oh damn." Jack muttered. He had wanted to take things slower with Lydia, because she was possibly the most amazing girl he had ever met, but he couldn't remember anything that had happened last night after arriving at her house.

_Did we get drunk?_

Jack got out of bed, trying to think of a way to let this not be awkward between them after... whatever happened the night before.

Looking around, he spotted his clothes in the most random of places. Snatching his boxers from where they had been thrown on top of her lamp, he put those on and spotted his jeans on the other side of the room by her dresser.

He was just zipping up when he noticed a note on her dresser. With every intention of minding his own business, Jack was about to look for his shirt but not before noticing something shiny out of the the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw what looked like a ring attached to the mystery note.

For a moment he panicked, wondering if he had proposed to her while drunk. There was no box in his pocket... but then he noticed the large difference between his and the one on her dresser. This one looked... nicer. More expensive...

Picking up the note carefully, he had to read it three times before registering what it said.

"You look very pleased with yourself, Geuse." Kise said before smirking. "What did you do last night?"

"Wait for it." Geuse said holding up a finger. A moment later a shout erupted from Lydia's room:

"WHAT THE _FUCK_ IS THIS?!"

And Geuse rolled on the floor, roaring with the laughter he had kept in since the night before.

Kise watched him, confused and curious. It was a long time before his hysterical laughter ceased and Geuse slowly got back into his chair wiping tears from his face.

"Oh man, you had to be there I guess... but I'll tell you soon. You'll laugh, I promise. Now..." Geuse looked a tiny bit more serious as he looked Kise in the eye, "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Good. Let's go snag ourselves a bitch... and I have something for you to do in case everything goes according to plan, I'll tell you on the way."

Taking all that they needed, which wasn't much, they left Betel Geuse's home and headed for their destinations.

Lydia had been woken from a dreamless sleep when Jack decided to shout very rudely at... _What the hell, what time is it? Please don't tell me you woke my parents, not when you're half naked and I am fully._

"What are you talking about?" Lydia said groggily while sitting up.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd like to pretend you have no idea. What the hell happened last night and what the hell does this mean?" Jack shouted as he threw something at her.

Lydia looked down at what had landed on the comforter in front of her. Picking up the ring, her hand began to shake as she recognized the red diamonds on it. There was a note attached by a string.

_My dearest Lydia,_

_We aren't a secret to anyone else, so why do you act as though we are to your boy toy? Aside from that, I had my feelings hurt when you seemed to have lost my gift, but I got over it quickly once I found it while you were asleep._

_BETEL GEUSE  
BETEL GEUSE  
BETEL GEUSE_

"Oh no." Lydia began breathing deeply, she felt as if she couldn't get enough air.

"Yeah, you've been found out. You're seeing this... Behtel... Guysah? Behind my back? Am I the boy toy, or is that someone else entirely?" Jack shouted, walking back and forth angrily through her room while kicking things out of the way. "Who _are_ you?" He screamed.

Lydia looked up at Jack, she had no idea what to say and her eyes began to fill with tears knowing how much pain he must be feeling. There was no way she could think of to safely explain everything to him. There was no way of knowing he would want to listen either.

"I am so sorry Jack. I should have said something."

Jack shook his head and backed out of her room, "Just... stay away from me."

Lydia watched him go before looking back down at the note in her hands. It all seemed so surreal, she must still be dreaming. Any second now she would wake up and see Jack smiling down at her, and then they'd do what they Jack showed her last night again and...

_Oh God._

She snatched the shirt Jack had left behind and pulled it on before pulling on her sweats that had been tossed carelessly the night before. She had to go to Adam and Barbara and tell them...

But her legs couldn't stop shaking.

Feeling as though she had been defeated before she even knew what she was apart of, she slid down against her door and sat on her cold bedroom floor, holding her knees tightly to her chest.

_Maybe if I sit like this forever it will just go away._

"Barbara!' She shouted, her voice cracking, "Adam!"

Wasting no time, they floated down through her ceiling.

"Oh honey, we heard Jack shouting but we didn't know if we should interfere or not, is everything okay?" Barbara asked, kneeling down beside her looking worried.

Adam looked very worried too as he kneelled beside her as well, "Did he hurt you Lydia?"

"No..." Her fist clenched around the note and ring.

"I hurt him." Her lower lip trembled violently and her throat began to close up, but she tried to tell them without crying, "He found this, and I'm not sure where, but it was left in my room." She unclenched her fist, revealing to them her "gift".

"He had to know Jack would find it, which means he can get information about us which means he found us, he can come here somehow, he found a way, now Jack hates me and he knew that would happen..." The feeling of suffocating was coming back and she clung onto Barbara's arms.

Stroking the young girl's hair, Barbara sent Adam a worried look.

"We'll go to Juno." Adam said, "She seems like she knows how to deal with Betel Geuse."

"Yeah, you do that." Betel said happily and looked down at the two new Nox Boxes he had just acquired before stuffing them into his coat. "Come and see how easily I'm dealt with."

He hoped Kise was where he had told him to be, this was his most important job and if he fucked it up, he was going on the list as well.

Disappearing, he soon reappeared into The Waiting Room and told the Miss Argentina receptionist he wanted to give it another go with Juno.

"You mean for your job?"

"Sure." Betel said with a small smile. "That's what I mean." The doors opened and he was allowed through.

"It's show time." He said with a grin, and this time he meant it.


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N **At one point I told my beta not to worry because this chapter was definitely going to be shorter than Chapter Three. After I finished this chapter I thought maybe I had lied to her, but nope! This is still short by a couple thousand words. So go me!

Still, long chapters make you want to die when you edit them. My brain is mush and I probably should have edited this one more time, but I get impatient working over this stuff too many times. :P ALSO! I'm so happy I could make you tremble with joy 1woof1 :D That makes me do the happy dance. Oh, and I keep finding myself using Betel Geuse threats now and I get really excited to write his scenes. I choose to believe this is a good influence on me. Alright, enough with the damn authors note, enjoy!

**Chapter Four**

Just imagining what he was about to do was giving him a hard on. It made him unable to think very clearly, but that had never been a problem before and he was always this pumped on a job.

It was with a feeling of renewed confidence and a smug look on his face that he stood before Juno's desk this time, ignoring her request for him to have a seat. He'd rather look down at her. Slowly, he walked around the desk, trailing a hand along the cool wood leisurely. When he walked around the corner to her side, she stood up abruptly but he was still looking down at her.

"What do you want Betel?"

"Relax June," he said, using the pet name she hadn't been called in centuries. "I'm just here for a peace of mind is all."

"May I remind you, Betel, that the smallest mistake can cost you any future you might have in becoming a Bio-Exorcist again."

"Mistake? Toots, calm down a sec'. I only just got here and you think I'm makin' mistakes already. It's as if you don't know me."

"It's because I know you that I feel that way." Juno said, taking a step back, "And call me by my name Geuse! I demand some professionalism!"

"Well... if you say that June," Betel said and took a few more steps towards her, he watched as she backed herself into a corner and realized her own mistake, "Means you really don't know me at all."

He crept a hand towards her waist, inching it underneath the coat of her suit.

"Don't you think this is much more like those 'good ole times'?" He asked, dipping his head closer to hers.

* * *

The green mist clouded their vision, but Adam and Barbara held onto each others hands as they walked on in search of The Waiting Room. 

Barbara was sure they were very close when suddenly a hand grabbed a hold of her arm. With a shriek, she tried to get closer to Adam for his protection, but the hand had a death grip on her arm. Through the mist emerged the smirking face of a dark haired man.

"Welcome, Maitlands." He spoke in a voice much younger than he appeared.

_No, not smirking,_ she realized. Indeed the man looked as though he was smirking at her, but with him so close to her she recognized that his face was heavily scarred and only gave him the appearance of smirking. It was eerie.

"Who are you?" Adam demanded, moving to stand in front of his wife.

"The name's Ben... King. Juno's assistant, at your service." The man said and gave them a sweeping bow.

"Assistant?" Barbara repeated.

"Juno didn't have an assistant before." Adam said.

"Well yes, but that was before." Ben King said as he stood up straight again. "We're changing things around, more people are needing more help. Less and less want to take the time to read their damn handbooks. Which is why I was needed."

"What is it exactly that you do?" asked Adam.

"I evaluate your case and see if Juno's services are required." King said simply.

"Evaluate our... look, this is an emergency." Barbara said.

"Oh I'm sure it is." King said, "But everyone has their own definitions of 'emergency' don't they? Don't worry folks, Juno trusts my judgment, and if you trust me she can take care of your mess that much sooner."

The Maitlands were silent, but Adam figured the man before them looked professional enough, and he seemed to know what he was talking about. He was just as rude as The Waiting Room workers had been...

"So you gonna take me to your place or what?" King asked. Exchanging a look with his wife, Adam waited for her to put forth her opinion on the deal.

"Well... whatever it takes to get Juno's help." Barbara said carefully and Adam nodded.

"Good." King stepped out of the way and extended an arm out to give them a clear path. "After you."

He watched them pass and a real smirk was on his face when they led him to the door to their home.

_Betel was right, they really are dumb._

* * *

It had been so long since she had felt this way, was it such a sin to give in to these feelings now? 

She had closed her eyes -- when had she done that? -- and was concentrating on what he was making her feel. These had been the delightful benefits of having a young assistant.

But those days were short lived and she knew why.

"No." Juno said, before she realized she was saying it.

"No?" Betel growled against her neck, his hand clenching around the Nox Box in his pocket.

"I'm... going to put you in jail." She said even as she was kissing a trail along his jaw. "Going to make you sorry."

Smirking, Betel took out the Nox Box, taking advantage of Juno's eyes being closed.

"I know, so I guess I gotta take what I can get now, huh? So let's turn on the juice and see what shakes loose." He said distractedly as he concentrated on turning on the box he held.

Juno froze and her eyes snapped open. It was when he rhymed that she knew something wasn't right. And now Betel had to act quickly.

* * *

"Here we are... what did you say your name was?" Adam asked as he pushed open the door he had drawn. 

"Ben, uh... King." Kise said, caught off guard by the question.

"Right." Adam couldn't remember why they had to take him here, perhaps assistants didn't get their own office.

"So what's up kids, what can I do ya fer?"

"We need some help," Barbara began, "I don't know if Juno told you of our trouble before."

"With the Deetzes?" Kise asked, hoping he would remember everything correctly.

"Right." Adam said, "But we got mixed up with a Bio-Exorcist who we have reason to believe might be back to harass us, or more importantly Lydia."

"Lydia?" Kise repeated the name, Geuse had never mentioned anything about someone by that name, but he had to remember what his role was and so he put the smile back on his face.

"Oh, you mean Betel Geuse, right?"

"Shh!" Barbara said quickly, her eyes widening. Adam clutched Barbara's hand and they both knew something wasn't right. The man who called himself Ben King had a look on his face that made them feel uneasy.

"Did I say that correctly? Betel Geuse?"

This time Adam tackled the man in front of them and attempted to use his hand to stop him from speaking. The problem with being dead, though, was that you could still feel pain and Adam was reminded of that fact when Kise bit into his hand hard.

With a shout, Adam retracted his hand from Kise's mouth who still had that smile on his face when he said a third time, "Betel Geuse!"

* * *

"Let me out you bastard!" Juno was shouting, but Betel could hardly hear her. He smirked delightedly at the tiny Juno he now had trapped in his Nox Box. He shook the Box a bit for good measure and shrieked with laughter as she tumbled about. 

He had moved more quickly than he had wanted when he heard Kise say his name the first two times and now he was trembling as he waited for that third time.

"Betel Geuse!"

Finally.

Dusting some not-so-imaginary dust from his trench coat, Betel tucked the Nox Box safely into one of his many pockets, told Juno to shut her damn mouth, and promptly disappeared.

When he reappeared, it was with a grin on his face for what had welcomed him was the ear piercing sound of Barbara's shriek.

There they were, those two dead beats. Holding each other and looking like they just saw a ghost...

_That was a lame joke, even I gotta admit that._

"Hey, remember me kids?" He asked, then looked down to see his sidekick laying on the job.

"Oh hey boss." Kise said sheepishly and jumped up.

"Just get away from us." Barbara warned. "Betel Geuse Bete--" Betel was quick to stop that little outburst with a nice shiny piece of metal on the mouth, which had done wonders before if he remembered correctly.

Finally catching on, Kise was sure to stop Adam as well before he could say anything.

_At least I can always rely on the Maitlands being more slow than most._ Betel thought, but he was glaring at Kise.

"I tell you to do one thing and you can't even get that right?" He asked, his voice rising in anger.

"One thing!?" Kise repeated, his turn to get annoyed. "I had to memorize all sorts of useless shit and so excuse me if I forget one little thing."

"Oh a little thing my ass!" Betel shot back, "If they had been a little bit quicker on the uptake and said my name three times, that could have been all of my planning - wasted!"

"Right, your whole one day of planning, whoop-de-doo." Kise said, rising his hands in mock surrender to go along with his sarcastic tone.

On the edge of his line of sight, Betel saw Barbara inching towards the door to the attic. No more than a second later, Betel was in front of her blocking her way and she gave a muffled shout. Grinning wickedly, Betel stalked towards her, forcing her back into the attic.

"And who were you going to go warn? My favorite little goth?" He saw Barbara's eyes widened and he had to laugh - but stopped when he heard a familiar voice downstairs.

"Adam?" Lydia called from her room, not sure what had woken her up, but she could hear someone upstairs. "Barbara?" She called. "Did you bring Juno back with you?"

_Maybe it was Dad and Delia,_ Lydia thought when she got no answer, _but why would they be in the attic?_

Betel had been hoping to have more time with the Maitlands than he had with Juno and was getting really bummed out that his play time kept getting shorter.

Taking out the last two Nox Boxes, he tossed one to Kise who knew well what to do by then. Throwing an arm around Barbara, she struggled against him but Betel was too powerful for her and managed to hold the Nox Box against the bare skin of her neck long enough. He watched as her skin began slowly to disappear around the cube. She struggled harder and he laughed. "I gotchya now."

Over Barbara's disappearing shoulder, he saw Kise having trouble with Adam but figured he would manage. And if not, Barabara was close to being done and he could lend his help in less than a moment.

Soon enough Barbarba was trapped as a tiny figure in the Nox Box and was banging on the sides with all of her might, but she had no idea yet how futile her efforts were.

These were the kind of things that made Betel genuinely happy.

Betel helped Kise get a hold of Adam who was cursing at them and using words Betel hadn't previously thought the guy knew.

Eventually Adam was an inch tall and looking very pissed in a shiny Nox Box that was added to Betel's now bulging pocket.

They hadn't finished too soon either, because just then the door knob turned and Betel and Kise had to think fast. When Lydia opened the attic door, she looked around, growing more and more confused. If she had only heard footsteps, maybe she would have passed it off as the house creaking, but she could have sworn people had been talking in there.

"Adam?" She tried calling again, looking around the empty room. "Barbara, where'd you disappear to?"

Maybe she had imagined it... maybe she had heard Delia and her dad in their room... Whatever it was, Adam and Barbara weren't there.

Lydia left the attic, feeling miserable. Running a hand through her tangled hair, she thought maybe a shower would do her some good while she waited for them to return, and so she went to her bathroom.

Once Lydia had closed the door behind her, Kise and Betel reappeared. Having been invisible, they had been able to watch her and so Kise had a few questions for Betel.

"I was only told about Delia and Chuck Deetz, Geuse. So who. The. Hell. Was that?" Kise asked quietly, a tiny bit angry at not being told about Betel's favorite goth, but also curious about what Betel wanted with a mortal teen.

"That, uh..." Betel now had a sheepish grin on his face and it only made Kise want to know more. "That's Part B to Amazing Plan. See... she called me here before and we had made a deal. Only she never kept her part of it."

Kise gulped, he couldn't imagine the wrath of not keeping up a deal with Betel Geuse.

"What do you need me to do?"

Betel shrugged, "I'll keep you informed, but we already have two witnesses I'm pretty sure."

* * *

Lydia let the warm water run down her face and began to feel more relaxed. Being clean always helped her feel better, and though it was only a tiny improvement it was still one step. She just had to take the next one and the one after that. She would feel better once the Maitlands returned. 

_Maybe I could call Jack once this sorts out._ She thought, but immediately beat that thought down.

_Jack hates me... and I don't think I can change that, especially not over the phone._

Lydia squeezed her eyes shut tight as tears threatened to escape and she tried not to think about it. She had already cried that morning until falling asleep again. It was time to stop crying, because if she let herself go... she felt she would cry forever.

Turning the knob of her shower, the water flow stopped and Lydia moved the curtain to step out. She froze when she heard a piercing scream and all thought stopped.

Except that she knew the scream had come from her parents room.

She tried to move quickly, but her feet slipped on the wet floor and she fell down hard onto the bathroom tile.

Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around herself as she hurried out, not giving a shit at the moment if she was getting water everywhere.

"Dad? Delia?" She called. _Oh God, I should have told them right away, I should have told them what happened this morning, let them know all the facts for once. So they could have left or... something. Oh no, why were they screaming?_

"Hey purdy lady." A man appeared in front of her and Lydia screamed and slapped him across the face as a reflex.

It wasn't Betel Geuse, it was a scarred man with black hair and that was all she bothered to notice before she turned to run away. Clutching onto the towel, she wasn't sure what direction she was going, only that she had to get away from the man who had broken in. Her plans were ruined, however, when she slipped on the bottom step that led to the front room and her feet flew up. She landed hard on her bottom and it was becoming quite sore.

Lydia hurried to sit up and made sure the towel was still covering her body, she didn't like the idea of running from a pervert while _totally_ naked. But she froze when she heard that unmistakable gravelly voice.

"Aw... wet and naked for me already?"

Looking over her shoulder, she saw a man she didn't expect to come with the voice, but clean or not she knew it was him.

"You were supposed to wait for the honeymoon, but I suppose I don't really care."

He bent down and grabbed her arm, forcing her to her feet. That was when she saw the red dress she was wearing, the dress she had worn four years ago.

"No." She said, finding her voice at last. "_No._"

"You know what they say, 'Married in red, better off dead!'" He said with a leer before he threw his head back and laughed. That laugh, it was a scream and it was unbearable to endure. Lydia covered her ears with her hands to try and block it out, but when Betel pulled her against his body, she had to endure it to try and push him away from her.

"Come on, you weren't complaining last _night_!"

"What?! You're insane! Get. Away. From. Me!"

"Aaaand that's enough outta you." And with that there was a shiny piece of metal covering her mouth much like the one he had used on Barbara. As she was still breathing hard from shouting and running, Lydia's eyes widened in panic as she began to breath hard through her nose.

_I'm gonna suffocate!_ Was all she could think of and she clawed at the metal.

"Stop it, just cut it out so we can get to the honeymoon, babe. Kise! Do ya mind?" Betel asked.

"Oh right, right... ehm..." Kise looked around helplessly, not really sure what Betel wanted him to do. Rolling his eyes, Betel said "Do I gotta do everythin' 'round here?" and pointed at the ceiling.

Horrified, Lydia tried to jump as far out of harms way as she could when the ceiling cracked, but Betel held her in place. In a flurry of wood and bedsheets, her father and step mother crashed through the ceiling and landed none too gently in the chairs Kise had set up for them helpfully.

They were gagged and bound with Delia's three hundred dollar bedsheets and both looked terrified out of their minds.

"Just like ole times, eh?" Betel whispered into her ear. "But no damn losers this time to get in our way."

Betel dragged Lydia by the arm up to the fireplace and grinned at her, his face too near hers and Lydia was forced to smell his breath. If memory served her well it was no where near as bad as before, but she had never been the optimistic one and instead focused on the fact that she was going to die from suffocating in foul, beetle breath.

Then she focused on what he said about 'no damn losers this time to get in our way.' _Where's Barbara? Where's Adam? Oh God. Oh God._

She wanted to scream, but all she could do was breathe hard through her nose and try not to pass out.

The fireplace grew and morphed into an odd shape, just like last time, and when a mutated little pastor stepped through, Lydia thought she might die from all of the Deja vu.

"Do you, Be-"

"Hey - sh! We've been through this already! She said I do, I said it, come on. Where we left off. Look, she's got the ring, we're dressed. Come on!"

"I don't see a ring." Kise pointed out, ever the helpful one.

"WHAT?" Betel shouted, bringing Lydia's hand to his face. He turned to her, looking extremely pissed and when he shouted spittle flew into her face. "You little ingrate! That's how you treat _gifts?_ It's a good thing I'm the ghost with the most babe, or I'd be _so_ pissed."

He held out his hand and the ruby ring appeared in his palm. Lydia tried to struggle her hand away, knowing the end must be near.

"Knock. It. Off!" He grunted and finally managed to wedge the ring onto her finger. "Now... COME ON!" He shouted at the pastor.

"Where's your ring?" Kise asked, taking on the full duty of Best Man.

"You are making the list, fucker." Betel said, pointing at Kise angrily who promptly shut up. Betel turned back to the pastor. "Can we just get this over with?!"

Lydia shook her head. _No this isn't happening. This can't be happening. I'm alive you moron! Dead people can't marry live people! Isn't that against some... code of ethics? Or something? This is the worst day EVER! I'm going to shoot you all._

When the pastor said, "I know pronounced you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Betel laughed loudly, it was a laugh of triumph, and Lydia felt she may have another panic attack.

"Alright, don't need this anymore." Betel said, looking far too pleased with himself as he removed the metal plate from her mouth.

"Betel Geuse, Betel Geuse, Betel Geuse!" Lydia exclaimed once she had gotten a proper breath.

But Betel remained where he was standing and just kept that stupid grin on his face. "I told you, wait for the honeymoon babe."

And then Lydia got a mouth full of beetle breathe because he was kissing her. She wasn't just going to stand there and take it, though, and bit his lip as hard as she could. This seemed to have the opposite effect that she had wanted for Betel only growled and deepened the kiss, his tongue slid between her lips and she was afraid she would start gagging.

Clawing at his face, Lydia tried to make it stop before she puked on the front room carpet. She could hear Delia crying behind her and she wished so much that they had been warned.

_This shouldn't be happening. It can't be happening._

Betel backed away, and Lydia felt an odd sense of pride to see the long scratches along his face and his swollen lip. He didn't yell at her like she thought he would, but with a small smile he knelt down and threw her over his shoulder very unceremoniously. It was embarrassing really, and Lydia shouted and cursed and kicked as hard as she could.

Because this was bad, this was very, _very_ bad.

Betel was struggling to carry her and wished she would just knock it off. If it had been any other girl, they'd be leaping for joy. But not her, of course not. Not the one he picks.

"You really - need to - stop - kicking." He grunted, taking careful steps up the stairs. He hadn't thought it would be so difficult to carry her, he usually didn't even break a sweat. You toss girls over your shoulders with ease when your the ghost with the most.

But he couldn't deny it, he had to put her down. Dropping her roughly on the steps when they were halfway up the stairs, he tried to rest but it was proving difficult as she cursed and struggled.

"Dammit, calm down you fat cow."

The insult made her stop and her jaw dropped. "_Fat **cow**_? Well excuse me Mr. Beer-Gut, but _I'm_ not the one sitting on my ass all day and then attempting to throw people over my shoulder."

Betel ignored her insult but grabbed her and roughly pulled her to her feet.

"Get up." He ordered and began to walk up the stairs, dragging her along after him.

Lydia was getting the idea of what Betel was taking her up here for, and she didn't want it to happen. She knew that once he took her into one of these rooms and closed the door, she might lose the fight in her. God, she was so tired of struggling.

Delia's sobs still went on and listening to them stirred something in Lydia. There was no way she could stop fighting, she was the only one left to fight.

_Gotta help them, where are Adam and Barbara? What do I do?_ Lydie thought desperately.

"You got what you want, you got a marriage and now you're here in the mortal world or whatever the hell your reason was for marrying me, so let me go!" Lydia said, clawing at the hand that held her tightly. Betel's fingers dug into her skin and she cried out in pain. Tiny rivulets of blood appeared on her arm from where his fingernails cut into her skin.

"Right, you're right. But this is a marriage, so _first_ of all it wouldn't be complete with out the honeymoon. And _secondly_, I am now the man of the house and I do whatever I fucking want to. Got it?"

"Go to hell." Lydia said, holding onto the railing and locking her knees. Her mind was made up, she was going to fight and scream and make this as difficult as she could, there would be no giving up. Just because he was succeeding in taking everything away from her, didn't mean she would stop fighting. She wasn't fourteen years old anymore.

Not really in the mood for her struggling, Betel jerked her arm as hard as he could. Lydia's fingers slipped from the railing and she stumbled over her feet, hitting Betel in the chest.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust when he leered down at her and struggled again, but he held her tightly against him.

"I'm guessin' the room with the huge hole in the floor wouldn't be a good idea... Now the bedroom would be a little repetitive, so let's spice things up." Betel grinned and pushed her into her father's study.

Lyia met the floor for the fifth time that day and scrambled to get back up, she was not going to let him bully her just so that she would seem weak.

"Stay away from me." She said, backing away as he stalked towards her. Always with that damn grin on his face.

_At least the green mold was gone, he didn't look so dumb._

_But he is still every bit as creepy._

"No." Was all Betel said and he waved a hand carelessly behind him to shut and lock the door. As he stalked towards her, pushing her into a corner, he had a grin on his face. He could practically smell the fear in her.

Placing a hand on the wood above her head, he was reminded of the night before. The night had started similarly like this, only he had her backed up against her front door.

"Like I said before, you weren't complainin' last night." He said and chuckled, looking forward to a repeat of the night before.

But then he froze, the chuckled died on his lip as he realized he had never heard the door slam shut. Looking over his shoulder, he frowned at the wide open door.

"I told you to close." He said angrily, but before he could tell it again, Lydia took that opportunity to act and her knee met Betel's groin.

"**FUCK!** You _WHORE_ You - FUCK! Oh DAMN! SHIT_ASS_!"

Lydia ducked when Betel tried to backhand her, but it had been an ill attempt as he was only seeing white and he felt like he was going to puke for three days.

As he fell to his knees, howling in pain, Lydia ran out of the study and headed for the stairs, but the scarred man was still there. Grinning at the foot of the stairs.

Changing directions, she ran to her room and shut the door behind her before turning the lock.

There was no clear thought going through her head of what to do, just that she needed to get out. And there was her bedroom window.

Lydia ran to it and pushed it open. _God, that's a far way down._

"Kise, get me the _fucking_ book!" Betel's shout came through her door. She didn't know what that meant, but it was all the incentive she needed to get over her fear of heights at that moment.

First one leg went through, then the other... and the damn dress was getting in the way. It was afternoon and more than likely she was mooning all those nice neighbors who liked to have their binoculars handy.

She froze when she heard a scream.

During her escape from the madman, she had forgotten about Delia and her father. She had forgotten about the Maitlands.

_But I can't help them if Betel Geuse gets to me... I gotta get out. I gotta get a... Oh God, what do I do?_

Before she could decide what would be the best move to make, her footing slipped and she was hanging onto her window sill by the tips of her fingers. And as her fingers slipped, she had a flashback to gym class when she had faced the pull up bar and failed miserably in front of the whole class. They could all do a pull up, but not her. Not even one.

This time when she fell she couldn't get up. Not for a long time.

* * *

"What book?" Kise asked carefully, thinking Betel had gone off his rocker. You don't ask for a book when you get your nads kicked in! You get an ice pack and ask God over and over again "Why!?" 

Then you kick the ass of whoever did that to you. It was common knowledge.

"The... book. The damn, FUCKING _BOOK!_" Betel screamed and Kise held his hands up in surrender.

"I swear, I never seen it. I'm just the best man."

Betel stalked past the Deetzes still tied to their chairs and paid them no mind. Not until Delia gave a muffled sob.

In no mood for shitting around, Betel turned to her and she froze, her eyes widened when Betel pointed at her.

He stood like that for a long time, pointing at her and she stared back at him in fright. Charles watched in silence, scared for his wife and his daughter and Kise watched in silence as well, scared his employer had gone insane and would massacre everyone.

After a full minute of this, Betel screamed with rage. There were no words or shouts, it was a scream of pure rage and he was pulling at his hair.

"Find me the FUCKING BOOK KISE! I need to KNOW _WHY_ I can't DO ANYTHING!"

He stalked through the house, kicking over everything in his way. Lamps crashed as did expensive decorations. He didn't care. All he wanted now was the book that must have shown up somewhere by now. It had the answers, it had to have the answers.

Kise stood awkwardly in the front room with Betel and Lydia's witnesses still tied to their chairs. Delia had fainted and Charles was trying to say something to him, but Kise ignored him. All he cared about, right now, was not getting skinned for fucking something up.

Carefully, he sat down on the sofa. Ready to get up and look like he had been searching for a... book... or whatever the hell Betel was talking about this time.

* * *

"FOUND IT!" Betel shouted triumphantly some time later as he came down the stairs. It was sunset now and there had been many hours of Betel screaming and shouting obscenities. 

"Nobody fuck with me, I'm reading." He said as he sat down in a chair and opened up his hard earned book.

Curious, Kise looked at the cover and read out loud, "Handbook for Marriage Between the Living and the Deceased."

"Yeah, gotta find out some things. Shuddup."

Kise nodded and looked at the floor, wondering what happened with the girl after all that screaming and stomping.

Just then, Chuck chose that moment to attempt to communicate just how pissed he was, or that's what Kise figured he was trying to do. That tone in his muffled voice sounded pretty pissed.

With a calmness that Kise didn't know existed in him, Betel slowly looked over the top of his book he was currently devouring and met Chuck's gaze.

"I know I'm a funny guy, but I think I made it clear how serious it is that I'm reading and not to FUCK with me... Kise, take them somewhere else... upstairs. I don't care. Just... outta here dammit."

Knowing better than to ask why he couldn't just do it himself, Kise made the two float back up through the hole in the ceiling and then patched it up nicely enough. It looked good as new to him.

A scream broke through the silence and Kise looked out the window curiously.

"That damn bitch... I didn't forget about her, but it was good for her to get a taste of certain... benefits to our marriage."

"What?" Kise asked, Betel had that smile on his face. The eerie smile that reminded Kise why he chose to be his ally.

"Go get her. Take one of the cars." Betel shrugged before getting back to reading.

Kise grinned as he looked around for where he thought there might be keys. This could be fun.

"Touch her in any way I should, being her husband and all, I'll send you to sandworm land." Betel warned as an afterthought. Kise's shoulders slumped visibly.

* * *

Lydia had woken hours later with a horrible headache and a torn dress. With an odd clarity of mind, despite the lump forming on the back of her head, Lydia jumped to her feet. 

_Dad and Delia are sill in there. I gotta... I gotta go._

Lydia looked around, it was getting dark. Stumbling, the stilettos Betel Geuse had put on her were sinking into the dirt. She took them off quickly and held the stupid dress up high enough to not get caught around her feet... and then she ran.

Her feet hit the gravel of her driveway and she ignored the pain. This pain she could deal with for now... but she hadn't expected to fall again.

Her hands and the left side of her face were scrapped from the fall, but what really concerned her was the hand that had grabbed her ankle and caused her to fall in the first place, the hand that still had a hold of her.

Twisting, she saw the creature that loomed over her. The creature had one arm and two legs. That one arm had four fingers and a thumb. There was a chunk of skin missing from its right cheek and its eyes were glazed over but she knew it was staring at her. And as it loomed over her, drool dripped from its lip and splattered on her dress.

Something clicked on then and Lydia was no longer petrified with fear, and she screamed as loud as she could before kicking the thing in the face with a bare foot.

Then she was up on her feet running again.

She ran past her driveway and didn't stop until she crossed bridge. Leaning against a tree, she placed a hand on her stomach and tried to catch her breath.

_What was that? A trick? Betel Geuse, he's playing tricks on me. The bastard, the fucking bastard. I'll kill him, I swear I will._

She didn't want to think about how she _couldn't_ kill him and chose instead to imagine that she could. She was imagining how nice it would be to take a cheese grater to his stupid face when something fell out of the tree and hit her in the head. Hard.

"What the HELL?" Lydia shouted and looked up, puzzled. There was only darkness up there, and so she concentrated on what had fallen out. It may have been a bird and with that thought, she knelt down and tried to make out the shape in the darkness.

There it was, lying in the grass just in front of her. It was long and thick... must have been a branch. She had the worst damn luck...

But no... it was moving. Yes... and it had a curve in the middle of it.

_An arm,_ she realized. _And on the end, four fingers... and a thumb._ She screamed as she jumped up and kicked it away from her.

Backing up against the tree, she began breathing hard. _I need to help Dad. I gotta help Delia... gotta help the Maitlands._ She reminded herself, but she was frozen with fear. The night was so big and scary and she was a little girl again who wanted her parents to come make all the monsters in her closet disappear.

Something slimy was running down her neck and she brought a hand up to it quickly to find out what it was. Her hand came away wet and she saw it was clear and stringy in the moonlight.

Lydia jumped away from the tree and wished she could hear more than her own breathing, but she could see them. So many of them. Those creatures, they had missing limbs and they all looked at her hungrily...

_And they're climbing the God damn trees._ Was the only thought that ran through Lydia's mind before she realized she needed to be running again.

She took off down the street, and she had hardly gone more than a block when a pair of headlights shone behind her. Jumping onto someone's lawn she had gotten out of the way just in time, she looked up and was horrified to see her step-mothers purple car speed past. It had gone perhaps fifteen feet before the driver slammed on the breaks. The vehicle shifted into reverse.

_Someone came to save me! Thank God!_

She opened the door, jumped in and had barely closed it before they were speeding off again. The driver made a screeching U-Turn and then they were headed back in the direction they had come.

"What the HELL were those?" Lydia screamed, and she saw her chauffeur. The heavily scarred man, Kise.

"Those," he said, giving her a once over, "are what happens when you don't take the rules seriously enough. You just experienced a very mild infestation of a group of individuals who have chosen to stay on earth longer than they were supposed to. They deteriorate not only in flesh but in the mind as well, and because of that they crave someone else's in place of their own."

At her blank stare, Kise said with a shrug, "To the more ignorant they are known as zombies."

Earlier that same day, Lydia's impression of the man before her had been that he was a really big idiot but now he spoke as if he was some pompous upper class snot.

"When did you get so smart?" She asked, holding onto the dashboard, smart or not the man had no idea how to drive straight for more than a second.

"Smart? Ha, I just like zombies."

"Fine. But what are zombies doing in Winter River?"

"They're everywhere, not just here... you'll probably be noticing a lot of new things now. You're sort of one of us now y'know... and Betel's sort of one of you guys... y'know?"

"Oh." Lydia looked at the road, feeling a bit overwhelmed considering everything, "Right...

At the mention of Betel Geuse, she realized what would be waiting for her once they arrived back "home," a disgusting man with no morals that she had just been forcibly married to, and it was odd that just a moment ago she felt she was being rescued.

"I don't wanna go." She said, her voice sounding small and scared.

"And I don't care." Kise replied. Lydia was soon learning Kise was not someone she liked very much, even if he had just "rescued" her.

They pulled into her driveway, and she followed Kise obediently. What else could she do now? It was hard to admit, but she was finally ready to give up.

For today at least.

Lydia was shoved into her home and was welcomed by the site of Betel Geuse lounging in a comfy chair and reading an old looking book.

"You read?" Lydia asked stupidly.

"Kise," Betel said, not looking up from the book he was studying, "Just take the girl outta here and make sure there aint a way she can escape this time, 'k?"

"No problemo boss."

"And remember my warning from before."

"Yeah. Right."

Lydia shoved Kise's hand away from her shoulder and walked up the stairs on her own. Kise followed a couple of paces behind her. After the nights adventures, he was sure she wouldn't try to escape. Not yet anyway, but the morning might be a different story.

Kise made a hammer and a bucket of long nails appear from midair and went around to seal the place up. It would have to do for now.

Passing the room the Deetz couple were in, he saw Lydia untying them. Well, he didn't think Betel cared too much about them, but hammered down their windows anyway. He ignored the glares sent at his back from Chuck and ignored the two ladies and their sobbing.

* * *

"Son of a BITCH!" The shout woke Kise up and he heard a crash soon after. He had been napping on the couch across from where Betel had been reading. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was nearly midnight. 

"Prisoner escape?" Kise asked sleepily.

"No." Betel muttered. "What I'm going to tell you Kise... this is between you and me for now."

"Who the hell else would I tell?"

"Just shut up. What I mean is, the girl can't get a hold of the damn book. GOT IT?"

"Yeah yeah, I got it. Just tell me what the big deal is. All I know is you got married and then you started shouting. A LOT."

Betel stood up abruptly, and Kise jumped back into the couch, fearing being struck. Something was very wrong because this reaction didn't even get a laugh out of Betel.

"Watch." Betel said and then pointed at the book he had thrown at a lamp. It lay on the floor, where it had landed. And as Betel pointed at it, it remained laying there. Still, unmoving... and Kise wondered what Betel was wasting his time with.

"Is it supposed to do a trick?" Kise asked carefully.

"No it's not supposed to do a trick." Betel hissed at him. "I'm trying to make it burst into flames. I should just be able to LOOK at it and then BAM there it would go. Bye. Gone. Up in flames. But no."

"Well, maybe there's something protecting it. It's a government book, aint it? They don't want their property destroyed."

"No, you're not gettin' it. Watch. BAM!" Betel pointed at the couch. "BAM!" He pointed at the television. "**BAM!**" he pointed at Kise. Then put his hand down and stood their looking calm. It was eerie.

"We're not... bursting in to flames... either." Kise said after awhile.

"Yeah. I know. You won't burst in flame. Your shoelaces won't knot together. I can't throw someone over my shoulder... I can't even make a fucking door close itself!"

"You lost your powers."

"YES I DID AND DO YOU KNOW WHY, SMART GUY?" Betel screamed and Kise didn't answer, because not only did he not know the answer, but he also didn't want Betel to take a knife to his nads.

"BECAUSE OF **HER!**" Betel stomped around the chair and picked up the book. Flipping through pages in a hurry, he found what he was looking for and shoved the book under Kise's nose.

"Read. There."

Betel pointed to a small paragraph and Kise took the book to see what the big deal was.

"'Once the marriage ceremony is completed - as in rings are exchanged, the couples each have said "I do" and they are pronounced man and wife and may kiss - powers of the deceased are temporarily taken away until the honeymoon or at whatever time the couple decides to consummate their marriage - that is, to make it official.'" Kise paused after reading this a loud.

"Then why don't you just sleep with her?" He asked Betel.

"'Then why don't you just sleep with her?'" Betel mocked in a nasally little voice. "Read more."

Frowning, Kise brought the book back up and read out loud some more.

"'After couples have consummated the marriage, only then will powers be restored to the deceased and then the deceased will take on certain characteristics of the living - see Chapter Four. The living will then take on characteristics of the dead while keeping a form of their mortality but they also get a share of the deceased powers - see Chapter Five. In this way the two of you shall be closer to each other.'"

There was a silence for a moment after Kise finished reading this before Betel took the book and threw it again with a shout of rage.

"I am so FUCKING _PISSED!_"

"So, she'll get some of your powers? How much?" He asked.

"I don't know... and I don't even want to fucking know. Which is why we gotta find a way around this Kise." Betel said, turning back to his partner. There was a wild look in his eyes and his hair was sticking up in every direction from the hours spent pulling at it in frustration.

"Tomorrow, I want you to go back to our world and I want you to get every damn Handbook there is. I don't care if you think I've read it before or not, we're going to find a fucking way to make this work."

Kise nodded. Things would be easier without Juno. The bitch.

"Um boss?"

"What?"

"If we find a way... could we get me a mortal too?"

Betel grunted and Kise wasn't sure if it was a yes or no, but he would take it as a yes.


	6. Chapter Five

A/N This chapter took forever but I took a little bit of a break and then it was hard to get back into writing mode again but once I was there I was unstoppable haha. I would also just like to add that I have seen Juno twice now because it is AMAZING. No joke. Also, interesting little tidbit, this is just 805 words shorter than chapter three, because I know you wanted to know that grin

**Chapter Five**

Hours later, Delia's sobs finally died down but it was much later when Lydia finally heard the shouting down stairs cease as well.

She had no idea what had upset him, but she heard he was blaming her and that made a smirk appear on Lydia's face.

_Maybe that knee in the nads did some permanent damage._

Still, amused at the thought or not, she was very afraid to go down there... but she was also _starving._ She hoped her parents would wake up soon and then she could just send them down for some food.

Looking over at them, she watched them sleeping soundly and envied them. She wished she could sleep, but she wished for a lot of things really. Wished she could just go back in time and they could stop Betel Geuse. She wished she hadn't gotten into the car with Kise, she could have gone some where else... maybe a neighbor. Would they have taken her? She liked to imagine they would.

None of those things could come true, though, and she knew she was too late. But still, she wished more than anything that she knew where the Maitlands were.

Her stomach gave a very loud growl and she uncurled herself from the tight ball she had tucked herself in. Her body was so stiff from staying in that position for the past few hours as she was keeping an eye on the locked door. Her bare toes touched the cold floor and she shivered.

It was so cold out and she was still wearing that stupid dress. The flimsy material didn't keep her very warm. A glance at the clock told her it was five in the morning. She felt like she might pass out from how tired she was, but she was not about to let herself fall asleep yet. Not with those things outside and not with those men inside.

As Lydia opened the door slowly, she was thankful for her step-mothers hatred of anything cliche, including squeaky doors. It was very convenient when you were trying to sneak around because there were two dead people in your house.

She was tip toeing toward the stairs when she caught a whiff of her body odor. The dress smelled like Betel Geuse and her hands and neck still smelled like zombie. Combined, she thought the smell could only be described as "Death" and it made her want to shower.

Not only did she _want_ to shower, she _needed_ to shower. Her feet were horribly dirty from the little run she took a few hours ago and she knew she probably resembled a worn out Gothic-Hippie.

So she turned and went to her room. Only she did it as carefully as she could, because Kise was napping downstairs on the couch and she was beginning to grow almost as nervous around him as she was around Betel Geuse.

Wondering where Betel Geuse was, she tip toed to her room and opened the door. What she saw answered her question and she almost woke the bastard in her surprise. Quickly, she slapped a hand over her mouth and tried not to gag.

_Now I'm going to have to wash my bed sheets. And they had still smelled like Jack too. You asshole._ She wanted so badly to go over there, push him out of _her_ bed and demand he clean her bed sheets after tainting them with his nastiness, but she was able to stop herself knowing that that would more than likely not end well for her.

For the moment, she would have to deal with the alternative, which was using the other bathroom. She would give up her room for now, but once he left she was reclaiming it and letting him know what was what. Hopefully.

Though she was seething inside, Lydia walked around her room as quietly as she could, going through her drawers and closet for some clothes to change into. She was walking to her bathroom to get her tooth brush when she stepped on something that had sharp corners and dug into her foot.

Hopping on her unharmed foot, she hissed and muttered how it hurt so damn much and sat down at the end of her bed. Glancing over at the jerk off, she was thankful to see he was still sleeping soundly.

She cursed under her breath when she lifted her foot and saw a thin line of blood. "Son of a bitch." She muttered and then looked for the cause of her pain. What she found was Betel Geuse's coat and she wrinkled her nose.

"Great. Now I'm going to get like five million diseases." Lydia wanted to run to the bathroom, wash her foot out and put it in a gallon of disinfectant... but she was also curious to see what Betel Geuse was carrying around that was sharp... and to see if it was something she might steal from him should it be a handy dandy knife or something along those lines.

It would only be fair, considering everything he had stolen from her.

Dropping to her hands and knees, Lydia crawled to the greasy jacket and began to search the pockets. She gagged when she felt something slimy and looked in a different pocket. Her hand touched something cold and she recoiled in surprise.

With a look back towards the bed to make sure he was still asleep, Lydia slowly reached back into Betel Geuse's jacket and wrapped her hand around the cold object. It felt like a cube and it fit right into the palm of her hand.

Bringing it up to her face, she saw her reflection in the black-green cube she held. It reminded her of the color of beetle shells. The glass, if that was what is was made of, was opaque and she wondered what it held. It puzzled her that Betel would own anything even remotely pretty.

Lydia was looking at her own reflection in the glass when she saw something move behind her. Turning quickly, she jumped away when she saw Betel Geuse standing over her with a look on his face as if the delicious looking beetle he had just eaten tasted like spinach and broccoli cream pie.

Backing away, her mouth hung open in fear, fear of what he might do when he looked like that.

Betel Geuse reached down and gripped her arms, he pulled her up so that her gaze was level with his. Her toes barely touched the floor when he shoved her back against the wall. Looking at him through wide eyes, she didn't dare speak.

"Don't you go near them." He whispered and she wished he would shout instead.

"I-I didn't know -" She stammered out.

"Shut up!" His voice raised and he shook her as if to better communicate with her. His voice dropped again when he put his face closer to hers and said, "A man's got his privacy. Don't fuck with mine."

"It was an accident I swear, I was just -" Her excuse was interrupted when he pushed her away from him and shook his head.

"You disgust me."

Lydia watched him leave her room and anger flared in her, replacing the fear that had been there only seconds before. She followed him out, ignoring the pain in her foot as she stomped after him.

Betel Geuse was standing at the top of the stairs, but other than that Lydia didn't notice much. Everything else was blurry as her hands shook and rage took over. And when he looked at her with his eyebrows raised as if he was surprised to see her following him, she did all she could think of and pushed him as hard as she could. He shouted and on the edge of her vision she saw Kise jump awake, but she wasn't going to look away for anything.

She watched with glee as he tumbled over himself and grunted until finally his roll was over and he lay on his back at the foot of the stairs. Deliberately, she walked slowly down the steps and her gaze never left his. When she stood finally over him, she wanted so badly to squish her dirty foot into his face and to spit on him, but instead she leaned over him and despite how she trembled, she was feeling brave.

Whispering so that only Betel Geuse could hear, she told him, "But that? That was on purpose."

Then she turned and walked back up the stairs. She knew very well that it would only be a matter of time before he got up and paid her back for that one, so now was probably her last chance to take that shower.

* * *

Betel Geuse ground his teeth together from where he lay on the floor. It had taken so much will power not to grab her by the hair and bash her head into the steps when she had leaned over him. And now, he heard the shower going and it was taking so much will power not to get up and storm into the bathroom and drown her. 

He hated forcing himself to be calm, but he couldn't lose it. He still needed her... but he was going to remember this moment as soon as he found a way to get his powers back without her.

Anyone else, he could have just dealt with them. If she was _anyone_ else, he could have just gotten rid of her annoying ass from the beginning, because that was stuff a Bio-Exorcist got away with and that was stuff that was a-okay to do.

But not with her.

He couldn't even scream at her now because he had spent the whole night shouting and his throat was sore.

Sitting up, Betel rubbed the back of his neck and ignored Kise's offer to get her back for him. The man seemed way too eager to be doing things for him when it came to his wife.

"Did you get the books?" He asked quietly and frowned when Kise shook his head. "Well go get them, I'll see if this place has any fucking beer or not."

He watched as Kise drew a door on the living room wall and stood up once he left. If he had his powers back the pain would not be there for so long, but he didn't have his powers and so his back was sore as hell.

_I could fucking kill her some times. She has no idea how lucky she is that she could still be of some use._

He stumbled into what he thought was the kitchen and looked for a light.

_Fucking little bitch._

Searching through the fridge, he found only one beer and decided to drink it and just tell Kise he couldn't find any. As he opened it and took a swig, he wondered why Lydia hadn't seen Barbara when she had found the Nox Box. That was who she had in her hand and she hadn't even realized it. Just thinking of it that way was putting Betel in a slightly better mood.

Of course then he moved and pain shot up his back and he was soon in a horrible mood again. Back pain certainly was a mood killer.

Damn, he had had a hard on when he had her shoved against the wall in her room. The way her eyes had been so wide and how she was breathing hard when he grabbed her. It was out of fear, but when he had been so close to her body he was remembering how she had breathed hard when he was over her and her hands had rubbed over the body he was borrowing. It should have been his body.

His cock twitched in his pants and he tried to think of something else, but he heard the shower upstairs and couldn't stop from picturing her naked with all that water running over her.

"Stop it."

He had pushed her away because of those thoughts. Betel had wanted nothing more than to pick her up again and throw her onto her bed. He wanted to show her it had been _him_ that night and then maybe, _maybe_ she would stop with the damn running away and kicking him in the balls thing.

But there was a chance she wouldn't.

There was a chance she would be unlike the chicks in his world and not appreciate how amazing he was in bed. There was a chance she would get his powers and then try to destroy him. It scared him to think of her having all the power he had, because she would use it on him. He knew she would.

And that was why he had pushed her away from him. That was why he had forced himself to tell her she disgusted him.

But then, when he thought of how little self respect she had with that Jack-ass - _haha good one, that was a great joke. I'll have to save that one for next time she bitches at me._ - he did grow a bit disgusted with her.

He always thought she was the type of girl who could stand up for herself. _I mean her best friends are ghosts for crying out loud. You think she'd be more... I don't know... sure of herself. Less... scared. _

The shower stopped and Geuse went out into the living room and sat in what was becoming his usual seat.

He pretended to be reading his new handbook when she passed but once her back was to him, he looked up and watched her walk into the kitchen with her chin held up high.

_Watch out, little miss queen coming through._ Betel Geuse thought with a smirk.

Setting the book down, he took his beer can and stood in the door way to the kitchen.

He watched her for awhile as she moved about, he had no idea what she was making but it looked like a bunch of long worms connected to each other. Then he remembered that he was in the mortal world and they don't generally eat that sort of stuff. So he figured it must be noodles.

She was doing a fine job ignoring him, but as she filled a pot with water, he saw how her hands shook.

"I'm starving and really need to eat, so I'd appreciate it if you would go away so I don't lose my appetite."

Betel raised his eyebrows in amusement when her voice cracked and leaned against the door frame, folding his arms across his chest. He continued to watch her in silence, seeing just how brave she was.

_Damn, she is terrified of me._

_Good._

The pot was placed on the stove, Lydia turned on the heat and then she just stood there, pretending it was so interesting to watch water boil.

She heard movement behind her and froze, knowing he was walking towards her. Searching the counter with her eyes, she tried to calculate how quickly she could snatch Delia's chopping knife but she was interrupted when Betel's hand wrapped gently around her wrist.

She began to breathe hard again but didn't dare turn around, she was doing good at keeping on a brave face but if she met Betel Geuse's gaze, she knew she would break. She was so exhausted.

Betel was leaning against her, his stomach pressed against her back and his mood was improving again when he felt how her hand trembled in his grip.

Leaning forward, he couldn't help but smell her newly washed hair. He wondered what that smell was called, whatever it was it smelled fantastic.

Lydia thought she might puke when she heard him sniff her and she was beginning to lose her appetite again.

"You smell..." Betel began, and then his voice hardened, "like a used whore."

She could feel him when he moved her damp hair away from her ear and his face was so close to hers. She remained staring into the pot of water on the stove and wished she had just tilted her head back and drowned in the shower.

"I'm gonna getchya."

It was whispered into her ear and she shivered involuntarily. Then the grip left her hand and he left decided to leave her alone. For the moment.

* * *

Lydia found a tray to put three spoons and three bowls full of steaming ramen on and walked through the living room. She felt Betel Geuse watch her and was ashamed that she was growing red in the face but she avoided eye contact and walked up the stairs, careful not to spill the food she had just had to endure an overwhelming dose of Betel Geuse to make. 

She knew her parents weren't feeling well when her father didn't say a word as he accepted his bowl and Delia didn't even question having ramen for breakfast. Lydia wished her dad would pace the room and she wished Delia would comment on how badly the meal tasted. It bothered her so much that they had no fight left in them. It bothered her about as much as knowing she didn't have any fight left in her.

"Pumpkin, you look like you're about to fall asleep right into your ramen." Her father spoke at last. Lydia looked up at him and realized she had been looking off into space with a spoonful of dripping ramen poised half way to her mouth.

"I didn't feel safe enough to sleep." She said quietly, not wanting Betel Geuse to over hear how weak she was.

"Well if he was going to do something, you think he would have already." Delia tried to comfort her, but Lydia saw right through that pasted on smile. It was one she was used to receiving and knew full well how little feeling there was behind it.

"I'll sleep once I'm done eating." Lydia told them. It wouldn't worry her as much if her parents were awake and she would rather skip the meal and head straight for bed right then as the food tasted like ash in her mouth after her little encounter in the kitchen, but her hands wouldn't stop shaking and her stomach was growling. She needed to eat and so she forced the noodles down.

At last her bowl was empty, and Lydia took it to the kitchen, doing her best to ignore Betel Geuse again when she passed him in the living room. She was curious what he was doing in there and when she got to the top of the steps, she dared to look over her shoulder at him so see what it was he was reading.

But when she looked at him, he was looking back and she was frozen where she stood. His gaze held her in place and the intensity of that gaze held a promise. She was beginning to tremble again and she forced herself to look away. Lydia stood there for a second more before she went to her room and locked the door.

Betel raised an eyebrow, turned back to his book and rolled his eyes. The girl was melodramatic and he sure as hell wasn't about to put up with someone like _that_ in his free time. He had things to do...

Okay maybe he didn't at that moment. The book he was trying to read was really boring since he'd gone through it three times already in his search for some loophole.

Of course, in his world there almost never was. But there was still a chance, which was why Kise really needed to hurry up and get back with those books. If Betel had had his powers back, _he_ would have been back already ten times.

_Amateurs. You know I hate 'em._

Betel tried to stop getting distracted and slouched down into his chair, determined to read the chapter over again.

_"On the wedding night, try not to be alarmed at the sudden loss of powers. Instead, welcome this new development as a stepping stone for your marriage. Likewise, do not alarm your new wife/husband and calmly explain to them what is about to happen._

Having enough of that shit, Betel flung the book away from him and wished he could just burn it.

He looked at it where it lay on the floor in front of him and nudged it further away with the tip of his foot until he was satisfied with the distance between him and the book of Beezebul.

_Of course, just because I don't have my powers, doesn't mean I can't burn it..._

Betel smirked and searched around the room with his eyes. Where did mortals these days keep the fire making stuff... matches right? Fire making was one of the first things he had learned to do with his powers. What a wonderful day that had been.

Getting lost in his memories, Betel shook his head and tried to come back to where he was sitting in the Deetz's front room.

He stood and picked up the book before looking around again. A search of the walls proved disappointing, as did a search of the drawers in the end tables scattered around.

Pacing around the room, he glanced over to the door way to the kitchen and figured it was time to move on. He loved the kitchen, so many tools in there to be used in so many wonderful... _creative_ ways.

Then he remembered his little episode with Lydia in there not too long ago. She had been making something that smelled disgusting, the _things_ the living ate!

Betel walked to the stove and tried to remember how she had made it turn on. There were fancy knobs and there were a lot of them. He had been way too focused on the way she smelled.

"Like a used whore." He muttered under his breath, as if to remind himself but he was already lost in the memory of how she really smelled. It wasn't flowery like the damn soap in the jail, it was... a smell that he couldn't quite place anymore. A smell he had been fond of when he was alive and now he had no idea where to even begin to find that smell again.

_Unless I sneak into her room again._ Betel thought with a smirk before realizing he had let his eyes drift close. Snapping them open again, he looked around to make sure no one had noticed and remembered he was the only one in the kitchen.

He looked down at where his right hand was around one of the knobs on the gas stove and tried to remember what he was doing.

_Get it together._

Tightening his grip, he twisted the knob and he remembered with a grin when the blue flames shot up in the front right burner.

Raising the grate on the stove he put a corner of the book to the flame with a large grin on his face, the blue flames reflecting in his wide ice blue eyes.

The grin faded as he watched the blue flames shoot across the book, but couldn't smell any burning or see anything being harmed. He watched in fascination as the flames enveloped his arm and he was frozen for a moment before he realized he could feel it burning him.

Flinging the book away from him, the grate crashed back down onto the stove as he ran to the sink and turned both faucets on all the way and flung his arm under the stream, patting out the fire as quickly as he could. There were holes now in his favorite coat and his arm had patches of red skin and those patches really fucking _hurt._

He wished his powers were back. He had been beaten up just in the last day or so and he was getting sick of all the pain he was in.

_I feel like I've been trampled by a pair of elephants, eaten by a pack of wolves, then they all decided to shit me off a 6,000 foot cliff._

_Bastards._

"What the HELL is GOING ON!?" He heard the shout from behind him and turned around before he could get the guilty look off his face. There in the doorway to the kitchen stood Chuck Deetz holding dirty soup bowls and looking at a flaming book on the counter that was catching Delia's designer drapes on fire.

"What? Nothing!?" Betel tried to tell him, but Chuck was ignoring him as he pushed him out of the way to get to the sink. Betel watched him turn the water on, pick up a fancy looking spray thing and aim at the book and drapes.

_Well if I had known about that..._ Betel thought bitterly, not too happy about being pushed out of the way, but in too much pain to really do anything.

Finally the fire was out, and Chuck turned on Betel with a look he wouldn't put up with if he had his powers back.

"Look, whoever you are I'm pretty sure you're from Adam and Barbara's world - "

"Score one for Chuck! Only took him four years but let's give him a round of applause people!" Betel said with a grin and his arms extended towards Charles.

Charles pushed his arms away and Betel was reminded again of the pain in his right one.

"We aren't going to settle for this. I am Charles Deetz and I do NOT settle! I'm getting a lawyer, and you can be damned sure he'll beat any lawyer you can come up with from _your_ place." he said, poking Betel hard in the chest.

Betel rubbed his chest and decided to keep his mouth shut as the man walked out of the kitchen.

"I just wanted to get rid of the book dammit. I didn't know it'd catch your whole kitchen on fire." He muttered, but Charles Deetz had already exited the scene.

* * *

_"Don't you go near them." Betel Geuse whispered and Lydia wished he would shout instead._

_"I-I didn't know -" She stammered out. She leaned back in the chair she was sitting in as Betel Geuse glared at her from across her fathers desk._

_"You haven't even asked her if she would care to explain how she let that happen!" Delia said from where she was standing beside Betel Geuse, looking every bit as angry as him. "A responsible young woman like herself should know better..."_

_"I can't explain." Lydia found herself saying before she could stop herself, and suddenly she had a dreamy smile on her face. "One minute we were saying 'hey' and the next... we were on cloud nine."_

_"Oh but Lyds." Betel Geuse said, leaning forward in his chair. His voice was softer and he was wearing his black and white striped suit. "I can __literally_ take you to cloud nine."

_The desk was gone and Betel Geuse and Lydia were laying next to each other in her bed._

_"How did you do that?" Lydia asked, not bothered by the proximity of the man beside her._

_"Babe, I'm the ghost -" He began but Lydia was quick to stop that little rhyme and put a finger over his lips._

_"Shh, everyone's asleep. Remember?" She said with a smirk. Betel frowned and pushed her hand away from his lips. "Aw, don't pout. A girl gets sick of the same rhymes over and over Beej." She said and laughed at the nickname she had given him._

_"Yeah? Well I got a bunch, just been waitin' for the right time to use 'em." Betel took a glance at their surroundings and nodded, "Yeah I got some for right now I think."_

_"Oh really?" Lydia asked, leaning back into her pillow. Betel leaned over her and had a delightful little smirk on his face. She found that it excited her when he lowered his head closer to hers and she could feel his lips brush against the tip of her ear._

_"I'm gonna getchya." His voice was a harsh growl and Lydia tried to pull away, but somehow she was stuck._

_"Where's Jack?" She whispered, trying to meet Betel Geuse's eyes but he kept his face turned away from hers._

_"He left me a message to give to you." Betel said and stood up, he began shaking his head as he backed out the door. "Just stay away from me."_

Then someone was hammering nails into her door. No, that wasn't what is was.

_What the hell is that?_ Lydia thought as she sat up from her bed, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Come _on!_ You slept all God damn DAY!" And Lydia realized it was Betel Geuse, and she had just been woken up from one of the most weird dreams she had ever had yet. A glance at her clock said it was noon and she felt like she could sleep for the next hundred years.

"Shut the fuck UP." Lydia said sleepily and snuggled back down into her pillows. There was a rule in her room - "Don't mess with me when I'm sleeping!"

"Don't - what - don't tell me to shut up!" Betel shouted, completely taken back that she wasn't going to just listen to him and get up.

"Shut up." She said louder this time mostly just to piss him off. "I'm getting my beauty sleep."

"We don't have enough time for that kind of sleep!" Betel said and pounded on the door again. It occurred to Lydia that it showed some respect to her on his part that he didn't just use his powers to blast open her door, or appear in her room. Especially considering she had pushed him down the stairs that morning. It puzzled her. "Just get up!"

"Make me!" she shot back, not ashamed to resort to childlike responses in her sleepy state.

"No, because I'm actually... polite... and... I don't just barge into peoples rooms!"

Lydia sat up, an angry look on her face and she had the most foolish desire to snap her fingers and say "Oh no you didn't." But thankfully she refrained from doing that.

"What? You were in _my_ room this morning and thanks a lot by the way. Would it kill you _not_ to go dive in a pile of horse shit and camel spit once a day? You owe me clean sheets!"

"Camel spit? Wha - just nevermind about that! Look, I just need to - _talk_ to you." Betel Geuse ground out, forcing his voice to remain calm. He had no strength left in him to pound her door down and that would only be embarrassing and let her know that he didn't have his powers.

"That's too bad isn't it, because I am done talking. If you need me while I go back to sleep, I guess I don't give a shit." She said in a way too cheerful tone.

"Come on, I'm reaching out to you. You know, trying to lessen the tension, so just come out and let me ask you a few questions."

He was answered with silence and Betel ran a hand through his hair, gripping it and forcing himself to remain calm. Probably something he should have done from the very beginning.

"I won't swear. If that's what you want. Sometimes I can get a little carried away I guess." He forced out a laugh and wished he could just open the door.

Again there was silence.

"Why won't you just answer me!" He asked, getting frustrated at being ignored. He pounded on the door again, "Is it so much to ask for just a little RESPONSE!?"

Silence.

"YOU JUST MADE THE LIST!" And then he kicked the door, swore loudly because it really fucking hurt his foot, and then limped away.

He would just have to find the damn TV remote himself.

* * *

Delia and Charles Deetz, having heard this little exchange, were smirking as they watched their captor limp down the stairs. They didn't know what he was looking for, or why he had a hair up his butt, but they didn't care. They were just amused at how much their daughter seemed to piss him off and he seemed to not be able to do anything about that. 

"I've been thinking Delia."

"Mhmm?" She said, recognizing that now was an inappropriate time to make sarcastic remarks.

"And I think this may be the same man who tried to marry our Lydia before. I mean, the dress was the same and all... but last time the Maitlands had saved her and I think something happened to them."

"Yes... and last time I was blind through the whole little wedding service so I didn't see what happened and they never explained who he was... but I did see that man before and he was extremely dirty Charles. This man is kind of clean."

"Yes, and much more of a potty mouth to be honest." Charles nodded.

"Maybe..." Delia began and nibbled her bottom lip before continuing, "Maybe he's just a very bad, insane impostor."

Charles was silent, mostly because he disagreed with his wife and didn't want to start an argument.

"Whoever he is, Lydia is obviously familiar with him and he with her." Delia told him.

"What makes you say that? They aren't very friendly to each other for being familiar." Charles said, not liking the idea of his daughter being familiar with a man like that at all.

"No I mean, I think they've met before... in the past. Briefly maybe, but I think they've met. Just the way he knew her name and she screamed that weird word at him... Bug Juice or something."

"Beetlejuice." Charles corrected.

"Regardless, maybe you're right."

"Yes, I think I am."

They were silent for a while as Charles leafed through a magazine and Delia worried her bottom lip.

"So what are we going to do?" Delia asked.

Charles set his magazine down and sighed. "We tried calling the police Delia, but the wire's been cut or something. I'm in no shape to be fighting off mad men and so I was thinking we would wait for Lydia to get up from her nap and..." he lowered his voice to a whisper, "have her make a run for it."

"How?"

"The windows." He said matter-of-factly.

"That scarred man nailed them shut, Charles, and our tools are in the garage. I'm scared that he has access to tools like that. He seems like a really unpleasant man."

_Obviously, he's helping keeping us hostages in our own homes._ Charles thought, but instead said to his wife, "Which is why we're finding a way to get Lydia out of here."

"I know! But what if something goes wrong?" Delia asked and before Charles could answer someone else shouted from the living room.

"Shut up! I'm watching my shows!" Betel Geuse told them, unaware of what they were talking about but it was really annoying the way he could hear their little mumbles.

So Charles and Delia kept on their conversation in whispers and got no where with their planning other than dizzy from all the circles then went in.

* * *

Having proved triumphant in his search for the holy television remote, Betel was lounging in his usual chair flipping through the channels. They weren't the same channels as at his place, but he recognized a few of the shows. 

Settling down with an old episode episode of Mad TV, he allowed his mind to drift away from the unhelpful book, his ungrateful little wife, and whatever was taking Kise so long.

* * *

Hours later, Lydia was once again woken, but by a loud bark of laughter this time rather than pounding on her door and being screamed at. 

Rubbing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on why she was hearing such loud laughter considering the state her and her family were in. It was deep and almost charming in the way that it sounded so relaxed and _happy_ and that only confused her more.

It wasn't her dad's laughter, she knew his laugh well enough and the laugh was very unlike the horrible shriek of Betel Geuse. She wondered if perhaps it belonged to Kise.

_But what the hell is he laughing at? It better be something really funny to have woken me up._

Getting up, Lydia unlocked and slowly opened her door to peak out. She couldn't see anyone, but the laughter was louder now.

As she tip toed to the stairs and looked down into the living room over the railing, she could only see Betel sitting in the living room. She watched as he hit the arm rest of the chair and let out a bark of loud laughter after Jon Stewart delivered a class-A joke on the TV.

Lydia was shocked, and there were several things from this scene shocking her, but after getting over her initial shock of Betel being the owner of that nice laugh - or anything _nice_ come to think about it - she noticed his hair.

His hair had settled down to rest around his eyes again, and it wasn't ruffled like before. If anything, it looked like he had combed it and looking at the end table beside him, she could see a comb near the remote.

Now she was really confused, and she didn't want to move, afraid she would interrupt the scene she had just walked into and send Betel into a yelling fit again.

Taking tentative steps towards him, she was amazed at how entranced Betel Geuse was with the television. Either that or he was ignoring her. She stood behind him, waiting for his laughter to die down, which didn't happen until a commercial break.

And then she had some news she needed to break to this new Betel Geuse lounging in her living room.

"I have to go to college."

Smirking at how obviously she had startled him, Lydia didn't back down from the glare he was shooting her over his shoulder.

_Ah, we're back to nasty Betel again now that someone is in the room apparently._ She thought and waited for a response from him.

"From what I understand," he said, turning back to the tv, "you only _have_ to go to school when you're under 18 - I think. It's changed since I died but I try to keep up. Anyway, college is a choice from what I understand. So chillax babe. The only place you're going today is crazy."

"Yeah and I have the perfect tour guide don't I?" She said.

"Huh?" Betel asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Nothing."

Betel shrugged and turned back to the tv, not letting her ruin his good mood.

The commercial break was over and Lydia found herself entranced along with Betel in Jon Stewarts wonderful charms and she didn't notice as she took a seat on the couch to get a bit more comfortable.

There was no more laughter from Betel as he sat there, barely able to pay attention to the man on tv but trying to figure out what his wife was up to to be down here with him. Whatever it was, he wasn't going to fall for it.

And it really pissed him off that she was taking Jon Stewart time from him.

"Was there something you wanted?" He asked.

"Shh." She said, not even glancing at him to shush him and Betel felt his face beginning to redden.

Picking up the remote, he chucked it at her in order to get her attention and watched as it connected hard with the side of her head.

"Gah! What the Hell!?" Lydia asked, rubbing her head. She still had a lump on the back of it from her fall the day before and now she would probably have another one on the side of her head.

"Thanks a lot, asshole!" She said, and chucked the remote back at him. Betel's reflexes weren't exactly quick, and she had a rather good arm so the remote him in the forehead as well. There was a lot of anger behind that throw too, and the most recent reason was that she was going to get behind on her college classes because of a madman who thought he was funny.

"Son of a bitch! I was just trying to get your attention, you already had mine!" Betel said, throwing it back at her but not aiming this time and it hit her lightly in the side.

"I don't really give a shit." She hissed at him. Standing up, she whipped the remote one more time at him for good measure before stomping away angrily back up the stairs to her room.

"I thought you had to go to college." He shouted after her in a mocking whine. She slammed her door and that was the only response he got.

Betel glared up the stairs and wondered what the hell he did to make her have a hissy fit and remembered he was the one who threw the remote control first.

_So, she didn't have to be a big baby about it._ he thought bitterly. Crossing his arms, he tried to go back to watching Jon Stewart, but all he could think about was how Lydia was the biggest baby in the world and should just get over herself.

His pouting session was interrupted as the door Kise had drawn earlier began to open. Betel jumped up, ready to let Kise know how pissed he was for taking all day.

"What the hell, you left this morning! That was... it's..." How long had it been?

Kise walked out of the green mist and Betel noticed he was very empty handed.

"I know, I've been gone twelve hours. Believe me, I'm aware."

"Whatever... Where are the books?" Betel asked, his eye was starting to twitch.

"Your place, I couldn't risk taking that much government property to the mortal world."

Betel looked at Kise lounging back on the couch and tried not to flip out, as yelling would only worsen his head ache.

"Look, if you could just tell me what the issue is without forcing me to ask all the questions, I would appreciate it."

Kise nodded and sat up, knowing that when Betel spoke with his "calm" voice, that was when you really needed to be on your best behavior.

"I was held up because of all the policy guards running around. You stole three Nox Boxes, set free countless of notorious prisoners and Juno is missing. These kind of things don't just go unnoticed."

Betel didn't say anything, not appreciating feeling as though he was being lectured.

"Considering all the posters I saw around with your face on them, I am betting they suspect it's you behind everything."

"Well I suppose I do have a reputation..."

"Exactly, but they don't know where to start looking without Juno." Kise said.

Betel shook his head. "They know about my past with the Maitlands, and when they find out how inactive they've been lately, they'll search here."

"Then where are we going to go?" Kise asked, standing. He watched Betel pace around and noticed when he pulled his hair, that it didn't stick out all crazy like before but instead settled back down around his eyes, as if it was thicker.

"Let's go back to my place... they don't know it's my place anyway. They still think it's some tubby little perverts place. Yeah... okay so we take Lyds and I say we just leave the lame wads here, because they're more trouble than they're worth and I think they can manage on there own."

Kise couldn't exactly understand all of what Betel was saying and so waited patiently for some directions.

"Kise, go tell my wife to pack up please." Betel said distractedly.

Thrown off from his sudden politeness, Kise was sure he had not heard him properly. "What?"

Sighing, Betel shook his head and said in an irritable tone, "Forget it! I'll do it like I do everything else. You make sure the Deetz's know we're leaving and not to stay up waiting for us."

Used to the commanding tone, Kise followed Betel up stairs and they went they're separate ways, though privately he wanted to linger behind to watch the scene unfold between Betel Geuse and Lydia. Knowing them, though, the neighbors would probably be able to hear their shouting so he would not be missing out.

Betel slammed open the door, mostly on accident as he figured she would have locked the door or put something in front of it, but apparently during her little fit earlier she had forgotten to be cautious. Damn he loved it when she made mistakes.

"What the hell!" She shouted, and he smirked when he saw he had just walked in on her getting dressed. Holding the dress in front of her chest modestly, Lydia was beginning to blush through her extremely pissed off look on her face and he had a big grin on his face when he noticed.

"Come on, it's not like I haven't seen it before." He said, taking a few steps towards her, but she took a few steps away.

"Stop it, stay away from me... I disgust you remember?" Lydia said desperately, wanting him to just leave her alone more than anything.

Betel stopped in his tracks, realizing he must have hurt her with his words that morning. Then wondered why it mattered.

_It was totally deserved, because she had hurt me. Physically. A lot._

Noticing he was distracted, Lydia tried to rush past him, but Betel reached out and caught her wrist. When he pulled her to him, her hand was jerked away from her chest and part of her dress slid down to reveal a black bra.

His eyes roamed hungrily over what curves were exposed despite how disappointed he was that she was wearing a bra. He watched how her chest rose and fell and was mesmerized that with each breath her chest would rub against his with how close he had her pulled against him. A tremble went through her body and he misread it as desire, not taking in how her eyes were shut tight.

Unable to resist with her so close and so yielding, Betel brushed his lips across her shoulder and when he glanced up at her neck, he was pleased to see his mark was still there.

The taste of her was intoxicating him again and because she wasn't pushing him away like the day before, he knew he still had it. She still wanted him.

But Lydia was frozen in fear and that fear worsened as his lips roamed and his hands held her tight and though with each breath she rubbed against him, she didn't feel like she was getting enough air.

Trailing his fingertips up her arm, he realized he was being as gentle with her as he had when he was "Jack," but he reasoned with himself that it was because he knew it would only be her second time and if he rushed her she might get all squirmy again, in the wrong way.

He hooked a finger under her bra strap and pulled it over her shoulder, urging her to let him undress her, but she stood still and Betel didn't like that. More than anything, he hated being ignored, and he knew if he had made her squirm and moan in that kids body, he could damn well make her scream and shout with his own.

_If she would just stop being a stubborn little brat._ He thought, getting annoyed as he kissed his way up her neck and she still proved unresponsive.

"Knock it off, I remember how you were last time." He murmured in her ear and smirked when she shivered. "'Please.'" he said, mimicking her voice, "'Just touch me dammit. I want you so much. Be gentle!'" Betel nibbled on her ear lobe, "'So good. Mmmm, let's do that again.' Well babe, I'm ready to do it again, how 'bout you?" He asked, reaching down to give her ass a good pinch.

Lydia pushed him away, struggling to get away from him and she didn't seem to care anymore as her dress feel and she stood before him in her underwear. All she could think of was how much she wanted to stab him again and again and again, and she wanted to know what the hell he thought he was saying.

Betel decided to give himself an eyeful as he figured after his little teasing it would probably be awhile before he got to see his favorite parts of her again.

"You're sick. You were... why would you watch Jack and me?" Lydia asked, feeling humiliated.

Betel chuckled and shook his head, moving to her dresser. Pulling out the drawers, he dumped her clothes on her bed.

"Why would I sit back and watch when possession is so easy?" He asked, placing her suitcase on her bed and began to stuff inher clothes in a very unorganized manner.

Lydia watched him pack her clothes in silence before what he said began to fully register.

And then several things he had said before began to register as well.

_"Come on, you weren't complaining last night!"_

_"The bedroom would be a little repetitive"_

_"Come on, it's not like I haven't seen it before." _

"Oh my God." Lydia covered her mouth, though she felt like she was still unable to fully process it. "Oh _God._ ...You're just bull shitting me, right?"

Betel Geuse looked up at her and raised his eyebrows as he shoved her clothes down as far as he could.

Straightening, he gave her a small smile. "Sure." Then went to her bathroom to find her smell good stuff. Being so close to her had reminded him of how she smelled, and he wanted her to bring that to his place so she always smelled like that.

"Betel Geuse, I know it's difficult, but it's time to stop being a prick. Just answer the question seriously and next time you just want to talk to me at noon, I'll... talk. As long as it's just talking and nothing gross." Lydia said, as she followed him.

Betel just smiled at her as he picked up random bathroom supplies, and Lydia felt like stabbing him again. There was so much rage in her, and she knew it couldn't be healthy.

"I'm serious. It's your turn to be serious now. Stop being a brat."

Betel still said nothing to her and dumped her shampoo and conditioner bottles in her suitcase.

"Is this payback for this morning? Because that's really immature." She told him.

Throwing her toothbrush and toothpaste in with her things, Betel still said nothing as he went around the room, grabbing various of her things.

"Why are you packing my things?" Lydia asked, starting to get confused and forgetting that he had just pissed her off by walking in on her changing and then tried to feel her up like some pervert.

"Because I'm taking you to my place."

"Oh sick." Lydia said wrinkling her nose. It probably hadn't been cleaned... ever. Then she realized she would have to be leaving her home. _No, I can't do that. I won't know where to hide._ She could feel herself begin to panic and tried to count to ten.

"Ouch. See, you have that kind of attitude and then you wonder why I don't want to talk to you. Hypocrite much?" Betel asked, carrying the last of her smell good stuff he could find out of her bathroom.

"What?" Lydia said, and decided to focus on her anger. That made her panic less the more she took out her frustration on the jerk off responsible for it all.

"I'm a hypocrite? You're the one packing all of my bathroom stuff probably so I don't end up stinking your house up and yet when is the last time _you_ showered."

"I'm dead, I don't need to shower like the living do."

"Who ever told you that was lying. Because honestly, you smell like shit."

Betel was struggling to zip her suitcase closed as he looked up at her and winked, "Better stop talking so dirty, it's kind of turning me on."

"You're a pig. I'm never eating again now. Thanks." Lydia said, and picked up her dress from the floor.

She had been about to pull it over her head when Betel quickly snatched it away from her.

"Knock it off ass hole." She said, pushing him away from her. Betel just smirked and pulled her to him.

"I told you to stop talking dirty. I might take advantage of my rights as a husband." Betel growled into her ear. Lydia was tired of him touching her and placed her hands on his arms, trying to push him away. Her eyes had drifted closed when his lips had descended on her ear and she quickly snapped them open only to see Kise standing in the door way.

"Betel - Kise." She muttered, hoping to distract him away from her.

Pulling away from her, Betel turned back to see Kise and Kise quickly took his eyes off of Lydia's chest and said to Betel. "The Deetz's have been informed and are... well... unhappy."

Indeed Lydia could hear her father and Delia shouting in their room and glared at Kise, knowing he must have locked them in their room.

"You're leaving them here?" Lydia asked, the panic feeling coming back again.

Betel gave her a look and she could see how irritated he was getting. "What would I do with Chuck and Delia? We don't need them anymore."

"I do! They aren't disposable, you don't just use someone and throw them away!" Lydia said desperately.

Looking around the room once, Betel fixed her with a hard stare again and told her. "Get dressed and bring your suitcase downstairs. And don't take for fucking ever."

Then Kise and Betel exited the scene and Lydia was left once more wanting to push them both down the stairs.

* * *

"Kise?" 

"Yeah boss?"

"You know I just got married, right?"

"Yep, I was there." Kise said helpfully, wondering if Betel was losing it.

Refraining from snapping at him Betel continued, "So I think we can both agree that when I disappear into a room with my wife that... it would be polite if you knocked. Is all."

"But the door was open... and we're leaving..." Kise told him, starting to feel bad. He couldn't believe he just blocked his boss's cock. _He's going to hurt me so bad._ "I'm sorry man, I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Betel shook his head, "Just don't let it happen again."

Kise nodded, and though he was thankful to not be on the receiving end of Betel's rage again, he secretly wondered if he would be paying for it later. It was unnerving to see Betel so calm.

_Probably because he's getting laid._

Taking a seat on the couch, Kise was about to ask Betel if he had found any beers in the kitchen when he heard a door bang open upstairs. Turning in his seat, he saw Lydia struggle with her suitcase as she descended the stairs. He thought it would have taken her at least another hour to get ready.

_I need to apologize to her too for interrupting their fuck fest. Damn I feel rotten._ Kise thought, taking in her disheveled appearance.

Lydia looked at the two men sitting in her living room and thought bitterly how they were both the biggest ass holes in the world. It was obvious how she was struggling to get all of her shit down the stairs and there they sat gaping at her like she was some uninvited guest.

They were still staring at her when she finished her battle with the stairs and stood before them, and she was feeling disgusted as Betel's eyes roamed over her and she wished more than anything she wasn't afraid. She wished she wasn't afraid of creatures that roamed outside her home, that she wasn't afraid of the men in her home, that she wasn't afraid of what they might do to her parents and what they did to her ghost friends.

_I'll cooperate for now, but someday I'll make them both pay._ Lydia vowed silently as she watched Betel stalk towards her.

"Stay away from me." She warned him and Betel surprisingly stopped, but she saw that smirk on his face and knew he was up to something.

Looking between the both of them and feeling a bit awkward, Kise tried to excuse himself into the kitchen. "I'm gonna see if there's any beers left. Want one? Anyone? No?"

"They're all gone." Betel told him over his shoulder, "And don't bother looking around the kitchen. Draw a door again, we're leaving."

Kise wasn't too bummed, he knew there were plenty of beers at Betel's, so he got out a piece of chalk and went to work.

"I have to say good bye to my parents." Lydia said, turning to go up stairs. Betel grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Get your stuff. I'm not on your schedule, you're on mine. We're going _now._" Betel pulled her away from the stairs and Lydia slipped her hand out of his grasp.

"Get off of me. I'm not your toy, and I'm not one of your disposable pets either. I do whatever I fucking want to - and that's something I learned from you." She snapped at him.

His anger was beginning to flare again, and it had been quiet for a long time. "No, that's where you're wrong. You _are_ my pet. And I'm taking you home, where I can play with you whenever _I_ fucking want to."

He snatched her hand again and pulled him after her. "Kise get her shit."

"Get off of me!" Lydia screamed at him, suddenly changing her mind. _I'll take zombies over you any day!_

Betel ignored her and led her to the door that was flooding green mist every where. She was scared. She couldn't go there, that's where the dead people went.

"Dad! Delia!" She screamed, and then she was dragged through the door and she couldn't remember anymore.

* * *

A/N Before you ask, there's a reason Betel is bi-polar. That's all I'm saying without giving too much away. I would also like to add that I am the queen of run on sentences. BOO-YA! And thank you for the lovely reviews as always! They make me SO HAPPY! Not even kidding, I almost pee my pants every time I get one. Okay that's a little bit of a joke... but you know... thanks! 


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N:** I am so excited for you to read this chapter. Oh man, hurry up and tell me what you think. This was too much fun.

**Chapter Six**

Her world was green. It was in her mouth, her nose, it erupted her sense. All she could hear was green.

And green was the sound of panting.

The girl fell and as she struggled to catch her breath she realized she had been running, but she could not remember why.

As she stood again, she attempted to shield her eyes from the fog around her, but the attempt was futile. Picking a direction at random, she decided it would be a good idea to run again.

Until she fell a second time and began to wonder what went wrong in her life that she could not go faster than a snail without falling on her face.

"Hello?" She called out, hoping she was not the only one trapped in the green fog. As she began to crawl - having decided it would be too dangerous to use her feet again - she could feel that the ground was smooth and cold, but she could not see it.

Her movements came to a halt when she heard a voice and she knew that was what the sound of green really was.

_Where... do you... come... from... child?_

The voice was old and even as time drifted on as he spoke she did not mind waiting.

"I dunno." She said with a shrug. "I think I'm lost, but I don't know to be honest."

_You... speak... strangely... raven-haired... one..._

"I thought my hair was green." She responded with a childish giggle and wondered how old she was.

_Stand._

The voice commanded and the girl was quick to obey. She stood waiting patiently.

A hand wrapped around the back of her neck and as fear took a hold of her, green was the sound of panting once more. The creature behind her was sniffing her hair and she stood as still as she could with her eyes shut tight.

Then the creature had his mouth against her ear and she could not stop the shiver that went down her spine.

His voice was gravelly and harsh as he growled into her ear: "Run."

Without hesitation and without struggle, she was running, and the creature let her go. For now at least.

She cried out as something scratched her cheek and as she continued on, she realized she was battling her way through branches. Her world was still green, but a deeper green, a green that smelled of pine cones and Christmas time.

Her run came to a halt but not from falling this time. She had run into a clearing and was blinded momentarily by how brightly the sun shone. Shielding her eyes, she walked forward tentatively.

A loud, booming voice broke the silence and the light began to fade, "You're here!"

"Here I am!" She agreed, wondering who was there as her eyes had not yet adjusted.

"Well it's about time babes!" a second voice said and the sound of that voice made her freeze. It was gravelly... but not harsh. The one who owned that voice was teasing her, but for a moment she could have sworn it was the creature speaking to her again.

Though she did not know for sure it wasn't the creature and so she stayed where she was.

"Come on Lyds, we gotta get this show on the road. I don't know about you but I can't wait to get to the best part." The man with the gravelly voice said and she had a feeling he was wiggling his eyebrows at her, it almost made her giggle.

"What are we doing again? I've forgotten." She said, feeling sheepish. The two men before her were becoming clearer now, and the one grinning widely at her had some crazy blond hair.

"Aw don't kid around Lyds, you know I'm better at it..." The man with the crazy hair and gravelly voice pulled her gently to his side and grinned down at her. "Hey babes."

"Hey Beej." she said with a grin that matched his, but with definitely less beetles in hers. Turning to the pastor about to marry them, she told him with fake sternness, "You won't get away with calling me pet names mister. I'm Lydia."

Looking around at her surroundings, she felt more at home suddenly and smiled to herself.

"... I'm Lydia." She repeated with a sudden clarity of mind and looked up at Beetlejuice. When she met his gaze, something went through her, it was a feeling that made her forget the nightmarish morning she just had and she knew very well what that feeling was as she turned to the pastor again.

"And I'm ready to marry the love of my life... and afterlife." She added with a giggle.

* * *

**B E F O R E**

Jack sped out of the Deetz's driveway paying no mind to how much colder it was when you went shirtless or to all the rocks he sent flying against the side of their huge fucking house.

"God DAMN!" He yelled, banging his fist against the steering wheel. The horn went off, scaring a nearby dog into running home.

_I can't believe it. It can't be... fucking BITCH!_

There were no clear, coherent thoughts, there were no tears. There was rage and denial and it worsened when he passed his house and didn't notice until he realized he was heading back to Lydia's house as if out of habit.

"Great. Just fucking perfect." He muttered, though he still had the urge to scream. Making a U-turn, he turned down a nearby dirt road and concentrated on getting home as fast as possible.

But as he drove on he was not paying attention to road signs or speed limits that early morning as he felt the anger begin to form into something else. Some feeling that was making his throat close up, making it difficult to breathe.

When it became difficult to see, he pulled over to the side of the road and buried his head in his arms. His muffled sobs were contained in his vehicle at least for he felt ashamed to be feeling so heart broken over this - especially when he thought of how the only grief she would feel was that over losing her latest boy toy.

_God I was such a fool. It makes me so **angry.**_

I don't want to be angry right now.

Some time had passed before Jack leaned back in his seat, red faced and sniffling. He kept his eyes closed, not ready to face the world just yet.

But soon enough he took a deep breath, opened his eyes and he started his rusty old car. He wasn't ready, but he could pretend well enough that he had gotten it all out of his system.

Jack didn't get very far before the calmness he thought he had reached began to fade. It was not helping that he kept replaying what happened earlier through his head... That note, throwing the ring at her, the way she looked so... _horrified_...

It might have been better if she had seemed a little less shocked. If she had played the heartless bitch she pretended she wasn't.

Through a daze he was pulling into his driveway and for a moment he could not remember how he got there.

Going through the front door, he didn't worry about being loud because honestly he didn't care about much at the moment, but he also knew it would take more than banging around the house to wake up his parents after a Friday night.

Slamming through the cupboards, he put together what he was looking for. He couldn't stay at home and risk a run in with the family, he couldn't stay in town and risk a run in with any of the Deetz clan.

_I gotta go._

First, he needed to load his luggage into the car - which consisted of a bottle of cheap vodka and a pack of smokes. The two things Lydia had wrinkled her nose at when their relationship was new.

Well he was going to love smoking in the memory of her. Princess Lydia.

As he sped out of his own driveway this time, he thought again of how her lip quivered at being caught. Poor Lydia, life must be so _fucking_ hard for her.

He turned onto a back road and looked forward to getting lost as he took one hand off the steering wheel to break open his pack of cigs. A moment later he was cursing loudly as he realized he forgot his lighter.

He knew who's fault it was too.

"Well isn't that just _perfect!_" He shouted with a bitter smile on his face.

Throwing the cigs away from him, Jack reached for the vodka and opened that instead. He took a long swig from it, and as it burned the back of his throat, a shiver went through him and he saw it was a mistake to not grab his coat.

Fumbling with the heating, Jack went over a pot hole and the bottle of vodka slipped from his hands.

"Aw dammit! You stupid bag of dumb! _Shit_!" Jack shouted angrily and bent down, not thinking too much of the road as his anger continued to mount.

Reaching for the bottle, Jack looked up at the road in time to see the cliff for a split second before he went airborne.

As his body flew up against the roof of his car it became clear he had forgotten his seatbelt. His anger might have reached its limit had it not been replaced by a fear that shook him and tore a scream from him.

The car hit the side of the cliff and his head hit the dashboard and though Jack's world went black, his car rolled on.

* * *

In the vast amount of her lately acquired free time, Barbara had recalled a line she heard Lydia say what seemed like forever ago, before she became their little mortal girl. Now, as Barbara lay curled in some odd little box inside Betel Geuse's pocket, she thought how well the line applied to her afterlife now.

_"My whole life is a dark room."_

A giggle almost escaped at the memory of how morbid Lydia had been, but it was bittersweet happiness as it served only to remind her of Lydia and the danger she must be in now. It also reminded her how helpless they all were.

She had gotten used to the darkness, though, and she could see where Adam leaned against the wall of his own odd box. He was staring at her again.

When she met his gaze she tried to smile, but there were no smiles left. When they were out of there and Lydia was safe back with them, there would be smiles, but for now he would have to wait.

Possibly the worst thing to come from this was that they could not hear each other, which made her feel all the more helpless.

Having Juno with them would have been considered a blessing, but she seemed to be the first to give up and sat there with her head in her hands.

Adam stared at his wife while urging the pain in his head to go away. There was nothing left to try. He had worn himself out banging against the walls that remained unharmed.

_I am powerless._

He was powerless to help himself or his wife, and he was powerless against the overwhelming guilt he held onto. Guilt over the fact that Barbara was stuck in the same mess he was and that now Lydia was stuck in a worse mess than any of them.

Through a gap in the pocket, he had watched what Betel Geuse did, the way he had grabbed Lydia when he had found her looking through his pockets and there was so much anger that went through him, rage he could not do anything with in the tiny little box he was prisoned in.

Adam stared at Barbara and felt guilty that she had also seemed to have given up.

_Someone in the Neitherworld has to help us. It won't go unnoticed forever what Betel Geuse has done... it can't._

When will help come?

Why can't Juno do anything??

Juno, though, knew full well what exactly they had been captured in and because of that she knew how unlikely they ever were in getting help.

She felt bad for the Maitlands who, if they were anything like they used to be, had no idea what a Nox Box was or what they were used for. Or how impossible escape was.

She had to sit and think through all the handbooks on the subject of crime and punishment for the dead, all the meetings held by Carnage members, all the people she had met...

All the careful planning and secrets that had been a part of creating Nox Boxes, mostly to use on criminals as dangerous as Betel Geuse, just for transport...

They had been sculpted so perfectly that only a select few knew all their secrets.

And Juno was not one of them.

Juno had resigned herself to her fate and if they were ever freed, no matter how unlikely that seemed, she knew she would have to resign from the position she held as well.

As she had committed suicide, though, she would have to take on another civil duty but she had been taken advantage too easily in her position of high power. She knew her mistakes, and now the Maitlands and that little girl would have to pay for them.

And if she knew Betel Geuse, so would the rest of Neitherworld.

* * *

Jack woke with a groan and when he rubbed his eyes he was not surprised to see the blood on his hands. From what he could see, he was covered in glass, his body was at an odd angle and there was a long gash across his chest. Undoubtedly his face was probably not looking so hot either.

Thankfully he seemed to be in such a state of shock that he could not feel anything. Except for the cold and he was shivering violently.

Though he seemed to be feeling fine for the moment, Jack was afraid to move as he feared the pain that would inevitably come.

_And of course I didn't bring my cellphone._ He thought bitterly as he looked up at the sky through his now oddly shaped window. _That figures._

A few more minutes passed as Jack laid there debating with himself.

_Well, so far all it seems like is a few scratches. No broken bones, my brain is still in my head, all the limbs are attached. This is good, this is... manageable._ He decided and nodded to himself.

Reaching his hands up, Jack grasped the edge of the window and began to pull himself out, but he cried out in pain and froze. He could feel the glass scraping his back. It must have shattered then he rolled on top of it, or something, he didn't care how it happened he just cared about making it not hurt dammit.

Grinding his teeth together, Jack pulled and groaned until he was finally hanging out the window from his waist.

_Now everyone can see my inside face after this. I'm going to end up as ugly on the outside as I am on the inside._ he thought darkly and smiled to himself, but it was a smile he was ashamed of.

His fingers slipped then he fell and laid on the cool grass looking up at his feet that still were in his car.

His beautiful, rusty, amazing car had been demolished. There were so many dents he was not sure it was even a car any more.

_Dad is going to murder me._ Jack let his head fall back onto the grass and looked up at the sky. _I deserve it._

My car is ruined, and they'll find the vodka and then they'll assume I was drunk driving which I wasn't... yet... and now look at it. It looks like something that would be... it looks like it would make a nice parting gift for Lydia left out on her front lawn.

Her mother would **love** that. 

This time the smile was larger and lasted a little longer.

Letting his feet fall from the window, Jack closed his eyes and thought of how peaceful it was at the bottom of this cliff.

"I bet I can lay here forever." Now when he smiled it was a different sort of smile, it had less anger and bitterness behind it.

_That would be nice. To just lay here forever._

I'm getting used to the cold even.

"Jack Harper?" A nasally voice broke the silence.

Jack looked up in surprise, wondering if someone had been in the car with him and he just could not remember from a concussion or something.

"Hello?" He asked and began to wonder if he was just hearing things when he did not see anyone around.

Then a tall, thin man made an appearance as he stepped out from behind his car wearing a white suit and a bright blue tie. He took off his matching hat to reveal a full head of blonde hair.

"Patch Binkley at your service, I'm here to help you." He had a thick southern accent Jack had not noticed before, but then he had been a little distracted by the man who showed up and was not calling for help or offering a ride home at the very least.

"At my - what? Are you selling something? Like cars? Because that's a little low if you ask me." Jack told him, suddenly feeling confused as he struggled to stand up, his right leg was not exactly cooperating at the moment and he didn't know why not. It felt fine.

"Selling? No. Helping, I help. It's what I do - help people. You'll find that I won't lie Jack. Not about this anyway." Patch replied with a smile that he may have intended on looking friendly but it was just giving Jack the creeps.

"Helping, right. Sorry I didn't pick up on that right away." Jack nodded and took a step away from Patch Binkley. Running a hand through his hair, he cursed as he was met with a handful of tiny shards of glass.

A look over at Patch gave him a view of that creepy smile again and Jack was having a hard time remaining calm. Which kind of irritated him since he had finally just got to his calm place before this freak of nature showed up.

"Listen, could you just tell me how you know my name and why you aren't calling for some help, I just crashed my car, the least you could be doing is driving me to the hospital for a... few stitches or whatever." Jack finally said feeling a bit uptight and still believing this guy may be just a vision after hitting his head a bit too hard.

Patch extended his arms in what he hoped was a reassuring manner and took a few cautious steps towards Jack. "I'm your caseworker, Jack, I gotta know your name. Otherwise I would look unprepared _and_ unprofessional."

"Well _that_ would be a shame, did anyone ever tell you to not to aim for looking like a creepy stalker?" Jack asked, not appreciating that the man was putting less distance between them. "Look, I don't know if you noticed but I just crashed my car and I am kind of having a bad day. Could you just tell me what you're doing here if you aren't here to drive me to the hospital."

_Even though it is a very fat chance that I would ever get in a car with you._

Patch sighed and stopped where he was. Letting his arms fall back to his sides, he shook his head as if he was disappointed Jack was not getting something that would be obvious to everyone else.

"Look Jack, first you need to calm down - "

Jack laughed under his breath and rolled his eyes. "Un-fucking-believable." He muttered.

Ignoring the interruption, Patch went on. "I am here to help you and you should consider yourself lucky because for ages people in your situation have never been exactly helped in this manner, but the Board of Carnage have noticed that lately less people are reading their handbooks, less people want to help themselves in their situation because the afterlife is just so hard...

"What I am here to propose to you is a trip to the Neitherworld, let me as your caseworker show you what you have come to and I will personally put your new handbook into your hands and make regular stops to ensure you have been reading it."

Jack stared at the man who called him Patch Binkley and was sure he was some sort of circus freak using long bouts of speech to hypnotize him into doing something disturbing. "Neither... wha?" Was all he managed to say in response.

"Don't get me wrong, you are more than welcome to stay in this world... but you don't exactly have your own house to haunt and it would not be very nice to haunt your own family I would say... so people in your case are more than welcome to spend your days in the Neitherworld or I suppose you could... haunt the bottom of this cliff... if you really wanted to." Patch ended lamely, obviously not believing it would be very fun to haunt the bottom of a cliff.

Jack remained staring at him while he tried to decide which one of them were insane. Clearing his throat, he said, "Is there someone else I could talk to for some help? Do you have like a business card?" He asked, wondering what kind of prank this was. "Because really all I want is a ride into town."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible Jack." Patch said sternly, obviously having enough with talking and wanting to get this show on the road. "I think you should just come with me."

"Nuh uh!" Jack shook his head and began to back up. "You don't hypnotize so well, I'm not going anywhere with you pervert!"

"Jack, let's just calm down." Patch said calmly, holding his hands up to try and calm the poor kid.

"No! I'm not going to be calm until you disappear as fast as you appeared!" Bending down, Jack picked up a rock and whipped it at Patch McCreeps Binkley.

The rock went through him as Patch had made himself to appear like fog before he became solid again. Looking at Jack with a smirk he shrugged modestly.

Jack's eyes widened before he squeezed them shut tight. "You're not real, go away. You're just an image from a concussion, you can't hurt me."

"I _can_ hurt you Jack, but it would be pointless seeing as how you're already dead. Plus I would lose my job." Patch told him honestly.

"What are you talking about? I feel fine." Jack snapped at him, struggling with his leg to get farther away from Patch.

"Do you Jack? You feel... fine... Is that why you went for a drive with a bottle of vodka?" Patch's voice was gentle as he effortlessly followed Jack who kept stumbling away from him.

"Shut up." Jack growled. "You don't know me." Not about to let the man get any closer to him, Jack decided to run away but as he ran his right leg would not cooperate and he ended up falling on his face.

Patch walked over to Jack who was slowly pushing himself up. He spoke in a voice he tried to make gentle, "You broke your leg in the car accident, why doesn't it hurt Jack?"

"Leave me alone, it's fine." Jack muttered, rolling onto his back. He looked down at his leg and saw that his foot still pointed at an odd angle.

"I think you should come with me, just let me explain a few things with a bit more depth - please Jack." Patch said, reducing himself to begging. He could not let the Board of Carnage find out he was putting another one into hysterics.

Jack shook his head as he stood up, "No, Just...Get away you freak!" Then he was limping away as fast as he could, determined to get up this cliff and if Patch Binkley still followed, he would push him off and not feel a damn bit of guilt.

But there was a large stone in the way he hadn't planned on meeting and Jack fell on his face again.

"Son of a bitch." He muttered, spitting out sand. Pushing himself onto his knees, Jack sighed and rubbed away the dirt from his eyes. He was still rubbing when there was a roar in front of him and he felt the ground rumble.

Jack froze and wondered what the freak was doing now - but he also was getting a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. That was a loud roar, it sounded like something from a night mare. Opening his eyes slowly, Jack gasped when he saw the new landscape before him. Rolling hills of sand stretched out before him and in certain places there were odd shaped rocks jutting from the ground.

And there, not fifty feet away was the ugliest creature he had ever seen and with a shuddering breath he knew that creature was what possessed the roar.

Just to make his craptastic that much shittier, the worm like thing spotted him and let out another of its blood curdling roars. Covering his ears with his hands, Jack screamed as if to block out the noise and his fear.

He struggled to get to his feet but he knew that with his limp he was a goner. A hand had a grip of his shoulder and Jack screamed again _The monster has hands!_ but he looked over his shoulder and saw it was only Patch Binkley, and had circumstances been different he would still be screaming to see it was him touching his shoulder.

Patch pulled Jack with seemingly no effort and Jack was thrown through the air, shouting the whole way until he landed with an "Oof" on the grassy ground.

Sitting up so quick as to make himself light headed, Jack looked around at his surroundings expecting to see another worm creature shoot out of the ground and come for him.

Before he could find the words to ask Patch what the hell just happened, Patch spoke first.

"You're stuck with me for now boy, it can't be helped. New regulations and all." Patch had his hands on his knees as he spoke, he too having been spooked by the sight of the sand worm, still he had work to do and no sand worm would stand in his way.

Jack was getting a sick feeling in his stomach and thought he might have to puke.

_Dead? No, I can't be._

He thought of Lydia and his eyes began to burn.

_I want this to be a dream. Let me wake up with her in my arms again. Just one more time. Let me do it right this time._

"So." Patch said suddenly, his loud bark of a voice interrupting his thoughts and when Jack looked up at him, the man had a wide smile on his face that seemed too large for it. It freaked him the hell out to be looked at like that, but then everything about Patch freaked him out.

"Let me show you my place." Patch was holding a piece of chalk and Jack was more confused than he had ever been, but after a moment of thinking over the past few days and just that very moment he decided it might be best to just go with it. For now anyway.

But he was ditching this freak as soon as possible.

* * *

"Do you Beetle - "

"Sh! Shhhshhh." Beetlejuice held a finger out to stop the pastor. "You'll have to use a pet name with me, bud."

Looking between the happy couple, he went on with an expression that suggested he would rather not. "Very well, then do you... uh... _Beej_... take Lydia to be your wife?"

"Hmmm..." Beetlejuice looked down at Lydia with a thoughtful look on his face. "I don't know... it's kind of a big decision."

Lydia narrowed her eyes at him but could not help but smirk at him even now. Still, there was a teasing threat in her smirk and Beej was starting to grin back at her.

"Well, I always said if I did it I was only going to do it once... so... yeah... yes, I do." He said decidedly and smiled wickedly at Lyds.

"And do you... Lydia... Do you take this man?"

For a moment Lydia had this overwhelming urge to say something more than yes, but looking at Beej out of the corner of her eye made her remember that she too a wanted to get to the best part.

_That's so naughty._

"Yes. I do, yes."

"Then I now pronounce you... man... and..."

But he never finished, for at that moment a foul looking creature came out of the forest and Lydia's piercing shriek interrupted him.

Turning to see what the bride and groom were gaping at proved to be a deadly mistake - or maybe not as he was already dead but Lydia had no time to ponder, she was too busy screaming as the creature gobbled their pastor up.

Before she could even begin to think rationally of what to do in a situation like this, Beetlejuice had grasped her hand and had the clever idea to "Run!"

Lydia ran with him and concentrated her hardest on not falling on her face.

_It's back._ "It came for me!" She shouted over the sudden wind that was howling.

Then the world around her shook and she feared it might shatter. There was a sound like cloth being ripped and Lydia saw the ground beneath her feet crack.

Looking over her shoulder, she knew it was the enormous beast who was responsible for this and when Lydia laid eyes on the monster and saw how hideous it was she could not make herself look away. It was not until she felt Beetlejuice let go of her hand that she turned back.

But what she saw was nothing.

Her world was black but she was not going to let herself have this night mare again. "Beej!" she screamed for her supposed-to-be husband, but the wind took her voice away. The wind was warm and moist as if she were walking blind through a light summer rain.

With her arms held out in front of her, she tried to walk but the wind changed direction knocking her off balance as it caught her by surprise.

"Help me! Beej, where are you?" Lydia shouted, the wind had died down so did not carry her voice away this time. Standing up, she listened carefully hoping someone was nearby.

"Help you?" A voice asked. The voice was harsh and gravelly, but it surrounded her as if the darkness was there because of that voice.

She stood still, knowing that the creature was very close. Shaking, she hugged herself and willed everything to go away.

"Please. all I want is to go home." She whispered. _No, that's not right. All I want is to be with Beetlejuice... yes, home with Beetlejuice._

"Oh you're so fake. Such a fake little _sssspider._" The voice echoed in the blackness.

"Wh-what?" She stammered, trying to blink away the blackness. She felt she might suffocate from all the fear in her. _If only I could see where the creature is._

"Mhmm, a fake little spider. The way you crawl into everyone's bed." The voice was in her ear and Lydia shook her head, as if trying to bat away a persistent fly.

"Leave me alone." She muttered and ran blindly.

"Oh don't run little spider. I meant no harm." The voice was still near her, as if the creature was just at her shoulder, and so Lydia changed directions trying not to cry.

"Let me go." Lydia said, swatting at the air near her head, hoping to land a good smack to the creature's head, but it was to no use.

"It is not my fault you crawl into bed with someone else everyone night just to feel a little more alive. Why, your dead husband is more alive than you, isn't he? Tell me, does he like little spiders as much as I do?" A wet tongue was licking her cheek and Lyida screamed. Though she struggled, the creature held her where she was tightly. Its voice growled into her ear. "I like to eat them."

She screamed again when its tongue was replaced by sharp teeth that pierced her skin and she did all she could think of. "Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!"

Lydia was leaving the darkness and in the distance she could hear a roar of anger and she dreaded the day she may hear that roar again, but for now she was running away.

"Wait! Hey, wait a minute babe!" Someone shouted behind her and Lydia stopped running, and with a grin on her face she knew the one person who had ever called her babe. Turning, she ran to see her fiance - but she was very disappointed.

"Who are you?" She asked, none too amused considering the day she was having.

The man before her was only wearing a pair of jeans and had a gash across his chest and another across his cheek. There were pieces of glass in his unruly brown hair and his foot stuck out at an odd angle. He was also looking at her intently and it made her feel uncomfortable.

"No one. I'm nobody." The man said distractedly.

"Well... nice to meet you Nobody. Have you seen my husband around?"

Nobody shrugged. "I just got here. Unless he's a creepy dude in a white suit and a blue tie, I've never seen him."

Lydia looked thoughtful. "No, I don't think blue is really his color."

"Sorry then. Sorry I couldn't... help..." Nobody said and looked around. "Is it just me, or is it kind of... green here?"

"Green? Yeah, you get used to it." Lydia said thoughtfully. Nobody and Lydia stood in silence for a moment before Nobody broke it.

"Do I know you from somewhere? From before I... crashed or... I'm feeling very confused and I saw you running a-and for a second I thought - I thought I wasn't confused anymore. I saw you running and I could have sworn I must have survived the... crash... I think it was. Have we ever met? I mean before."

Lydia could see how hopeful Nobody looked, and for a moment she wanted nothing more than to lie to him and tell him she had met him before but she knew lying was wrong and lying hurt people.

"No, I don't believe I have ever seen you before." Lydia told him softly.

"Oh... well... well okay. I was just - "

"Jack!" A man in a white suit and a blue tie came through the fog holding a piece of chalk. "You almost gave me a heart attack. In fact if I was still alive I'm sure I would have had one. Look, don't run off like that. It's unsettling when you go through the door on your very first day, we gotta take it easy, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah okay Patch." Jack said softly.

"Who were you talking to anyway?" Patch asked curiously, looking around at the empty fog.

Jack looked too with a confused expression on his face. "Who was I talking to?" He repeated, wondering what Patch was talking about.

Patch just shook his head. "Forget about it. C'mon, let me buy you a drink. I think you deserve a few."

Lydia was running, she knew she had heard him. She felt bad for leavin Nobody in the middle of his sentence like that, but she had heard him. She had heard Beetlejuice.

"Lydia, dammit where are you? This is all your fault Kise. Fucking shit and BALLS. Great, a mortal is lost in the Neitherworld. Just _great_ Kise! LYDIA! C'Mon! It will be... funner with us!"

Lydia was having a hard time not giggling when she heard him and when she saw him through the fog his back was to her but she knew it was him. That crazy blonde hair, his melodramatic shouting. It made her want to get to him that much faster and when she was close enough she jumped onto his back with a happy shout.

"I found you!"

"AUGH! What the HELL!" Betel Geuse shouted, when he had noticed it was only Lydia he tried to cover up the fact that he had screamed like something was attacking him but he was really confused as to why she was being so weird.

"Get off me you weirdo!" He growled, trying to get her off. He would be damned if she was using him for a piggy back ride, but he soon realized his error. "No wait, scratch that. You can get on me as much as you like. But not in front of Kise - he likes it too much!"

Lydia giggled and slid down from his back even though she really enjoyed seeing Beetlejuice so frantic.

As soon as he had turned to face her, she was hugging him, having missed him so very much.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, but I had this _horrible_ nightmare!" She told him, hanging onto him tightly.

"You were sleeping? It's barely been five minutes since we came through the door." Betel Geuse said, deciding to just go with her weird attitude than to comment on it. After all, she was touching him without doing the whole slapping his face, kneeing him in the balls, or throwing remote controls thing.

"Never mind that! There was a monster Beej and it was dark and it interrupted our wedding and I lost you and then this person named Nobody was being weird and no help at all but oh and the creature was so mean to me and I tried to call you but you couldn't hear me and oooh don't ever leave me!" Lydia moaned into the coat of the very startled Betel Geuse. Over the very confused Lydia's shoulder, Kise gave him a big thumbs up and after a second of taking everything into consideration, he gave Kise a big thumbs up back.

He hadn't exactly caught everything Lydia had said as she was talking so quickly, but he was sure she must have been speaking a different language. Whatever she was doing, he was confused.

Suddenly he was about not to care because he felt her lips brush along his neck and he wished Kise would leave.

"Don't you ever leave me again Beej." She whispered into his ear.

Betel Geuse was about to close his eyes and let this happen but he would curse himself for what he thought was so damn important to ask, "...What the hell did you just call me?"

Lydia pulled away and looked up at him, her world slowly focusing as she squinted against the light. Her breathing was slowly coming back under her control and she couldn't help but notice the black circles around his eyes were gone. It made him look younger.

"I always call you Beej... or BJ... or..." Holding onto his jacket tightly at his shoulders, Lydia shivered and looked around, trying to figure out where she had end up. It was getting harder to remember how she had gotten there and why she had been looking for Beetlejuice so desperately.

_Why is there still this fear in me?_

When her gaze settled back on her fiance, she noticed as well that his hair seemed different. Almost thicker. She reached up with a trembling hand and touched it tentatively, and though Betel watched her fingers with curiosity, once they brushed against his forehead he jumped away from her.

"You're freezing." He said and frowned. "Why didn't you wear a fucking coat. You're still a mortal."

"Don't talk to me like that jerk off." Lydia said, and wondered why she was so angry at him and wondering why they were using those kind of words with each other. Looking sheepish, she muttered, "Sorry for snapping at you. Can I borrow your coat?" She asked.

"Are you sure?" He asked, not sure if he wanted to give her his precious coat that had already been through so much. "It's... dirty..."

_She might do something to it!_ He thought but he was already taking it off.

"If I minded a little dirt I wouldn't be marrying you, would I?" She said with a smirk and gave him a kiss on the cheek before putting on his coat.

Now both Betel Geuse and Kise were looking at her as if she was insane - that is, more than they were.

"I guess it does something to your brain to go through a drawn door if you're still mortal..." Kise said thoughtfully.

"Yeah... well... welcome to the Neitherwold babes." Betel Geuse told Lydia with a large grin and was quick to take advantage of her disoriented state by sliding an arm around her waist.

_Things are looking up._ He thought with a devilish little smile and led the crew to his humble abode.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, the funnest part of writing this was from her running into Jack to the end. Oh damn I am having too much fun with confused Lydia. Haha. Oh man. I laugh at myself sorry. OH OH OH thank you all for the reviews! I am so excited!!

Also I am sorry this chapter took so long. It took me forever to finish it because I wanted it to not be over the top effed up, and also when I wanted to put it up it the internet was not working. Of course. Oh, and another reason it took so long was because I got distracted by getting obsessed with beating the Half Life 2 game and the episodes. Episode 3 needs to hurry. And while the whole Gordon/Alyx Vance relationship is cute and all, I want there to be a story line where Gordon is bi and gets it on with Barney instead since it is all first person and all... if you don't play any of the Half Life games I probably jsut came across as crazy, but it's all good. Crazy is just how I roll.


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: **I apologize for how long I took, really I do. I apologize hard. But I would like to confess my undying love to all you reviewers. Enjoy! (I just wanted to let you guys know also, I'm working on chapter eight. I'm pretty far into it but it's the editing that takes me for freaking ever because I hate doing it. Anyway, chapter eight... I'm excited for. Just so you know.) Right, now for real enjoy!

**Chapter Seven**

Jack Harper followed Patch Binkley into a bar that might have disgusted him and made him want to shower in Life but he wasn't bothered now. Now, he was walking in a daze. Nothing seemed to reach him, not the rude man next to them or the overly friendly waitress trying to catch Jack's eye each time she passed.

"Hey - Jack! Hey man, you're starting to depress _me_ and I don't need that in the After Life." Patch said, trying to get Jack to talk and stop looking so unhappy. Patch knew how hard it had been once he realized the other man survived that duel... But Patch had gotten over it and look at him now. He was a successful, well-dressed man. Much more successful than he had been in Life.

All one had to do was simply _get over it._

Jack, though, was just being difficult.

"Hello, Neitherworld to Jack." Patch tried again and knocked on the bar in front of his latest client. This got his attention and Jack visibly snapped out of his meditation. Turning in his chair, he fixed Patch with a look that was probably supposed to make him regret interrupting his thoughts, but Patch just thought the kid looked too goofy to look intimidating.

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking about so damn hard that you can't even pay attention to a pretty bird trying to welcome you to Neitherworld herself?" Patch asked with a grin and at Jack's comically confused look he added quickly, "Not me, brainiac. The waitress."

Jack looked over his shoulder just as the waitress passed again with her butt twitching violently.

"I'm thinking about Lydia." He replied once he had gotten an eyeful of the waitress.

"Is that her name? I didn't notice a name tag." Patch said thoughtfully, using the excuse to check out the nicely displayed rack.

"Not the waitress, _brainiac_." Jack snapped. "Someone from... Life." The waitress passed again and he glanced in her direction before turning back to Patch.

"And I was thinking about what you said, when you asked me who I was talking to. It's been bothering me that I can't remember. Then... then when we were leaving I swear I heard shouting, but there was also laughter and I wondered if that had been who I was talking to. I don't know why this is bothering me so much Patch."

"Me either." Patch admitted, shaking his head. "Now drink that and let me introduce you to... Candy I think is her name."

Jack nodded, "Of course it is." That was the last he said to Patch and he finished his drink in silence.

When the waitress, _Candy,_ passed yet again with a wink and a little gesture sent Jack's way, he figured _what the hell?_ and followed her. It never took much to convince Jack.

Patch watched them silently disappear out the back and with a smirk he carried on with his own drink. Patch knew as well as any poor soul you had to get over Life to enjoy the After Life. He felt satisfied that Jack was on the road to recovery. 

* * *

"I am _so_ excited to see our new home. I've missed this place, can you believe I haven't been here since before you moved?" Lydia was like a kid high on soda and candy and Betel was starting to get a head ache from her unstoppable chatter.

"Yeah..." Betel looked down at her, wondering why she couldn't just shut up while he took advantage of her. "How about that." He muttered with much less enthusiasm than her.

"God, I'm so excited." She said, apparently feeling the need to repeat herself now. Smiling happily, she snuggled against Betel's side. Things were silent for only a moment before Betel jumped away from her with a shout.

"Your hands! I can feel your _fucking_ hands through my shirt!"

"Well you don't have to yell at me!" Lydia pouted, feeling very put off. "I don't see why you have to be so mean."

Walking a bit more quickly, she attempted to pout and be angry at him but she knew her hands must have felt cold because she was freezing. Lydia shoved them into the pockets of Beej's coat she was borrowing and attempted to ignore him, which wasn't that hard to manage since he didn't seem overly concerned that he had upset her.

Before this could upset her even more, she was distracted when her fingers brushed against something smooth and cold. Concentrating, she tried to feel and see if it was a ring box shape and just when she had decided it was, she felt two more in the pocket as well.

Betel had taken her silence as a blessing and figured he would win back her happiness once they were alone and had gotten rid of Kise. He was hoping in her disoriented state that she would not take advantage of her new powers and maybe if she got her memories back it would be after she found out how terrific he was in bed.

Although, she was still in denial that he had possessed Jack's body that amazing night. Once she got over herself, maybe she would be a little more open minded.

_Knowing her, she probably won't get over herself and try to go on a murder spree. A murder spree of my junk..._ Betel tried to think of something else. Something to calm him, but he kept wondering how the hell he was going to manage to stay sane with his new roommates.

Kise was walking up ahead of them keeping an eye out for anyone while trying to be stealthy about it since he was dragging Lydia's luggage behind him. They did walk past a few wanted signs and not only for Betel Geuse's head, but for many of the prisoners he had helped escape as well.

All this publicity was kind of making Betel feel a little giddy.

They were being led down back roads to Betel's house, the same path Kise had taken not very long before. Had Lydia not been distracted she probably would have been nervous considering all the odd characters they would have had to deal with had Kise not been keeping an eye out.

At one point were forced to wait in an awkward silence for an overly friendly couple that thought they had found some privacy behind a rowdy bar.

Finally, after at least an hour of dodging around like a bunch of weirdos, they made it to the door step of the home Betel Geuse had stolen fair and square.

"Sorry it's not like whatever the hell you were thinking of, babes, but welcome to my humble abode. Our honeymoon suite. Homely sweet home." He grinned down at her as he pulled her to his side, attempting to appear the loving, dweeby husband or whatever she wanted as long as he was able to get into her pants later.

Looking over the dusty front room once, Lydia gave him a small smile but refrained from snuggling into his side again. "It's fine."

Frowning, Betel wondered at this new change. "Why aren't you all excited? We don't have to be quiet anymore, we're home babe."

_What if fiery-Lydia is back? I'll make Kise tackle her this time, we'll put a straight jacket on her and make her watch kiddie shows... Where the hell did that come from Geuse?_

Nodding, Lydia looked at Kise before turning back to Betel. She tilted her head as she looked up at him and her smile turned a bit coy. "We are... and I was wondering if we could go somewhere for some... privacy?"

Betel's face broke out into a wide grin and he almost threw his head back and laughed with glee, but instead he bent down and picked Lydia up, stopping himself from just throwing her over his shoulders.

He took a few steps and then remembered his room was up a flight of stairs and set her back down with an apology.

Taking her hand, he led her to his room in a run. He wanted to teach her so much and she was giving him permission at last. Finally all of this frustration would be gone. No more resorting to his hand. Oh happy day!

She entered his room before him and he slammed the door behind them. Lydia had only a second to take in her new surroundings before she heard the door lock behind her and she quickly turned to face him.

There was a devilish little smirk on his face and as he stalked towards her with that look in his eye, she stepped away from him.

Pausing, Betel tilted his head. "You really like being chased, don't you?"

Shaking her head, Lydia wrapped her hand around one of the cold boxes. She knew what it looked like without pulling it out, a disgusting green. And she wanted to ask Betel why she remembered seeing his angry face reflected in it, why she had such a horrible feeling in her gut whenever she thought of what those boxes look like.

He wasn't bothered by her silence and he moved towards her again, eager to renew the feeling of her under his fingers.

"I'm having a hard time..." she began, not completely sure how she wanted to say what was on her mind.

"With what Lyds?" he asked, snaking an arm around her waist so he could pull her closer to him. She smelled terrific.

"Re-remembering." She stammered, her eyes had closed and she was having a hard time concentrating with the proximity of Beej.

_He doesn't like being called that... but why not?_ Lydia tried to remember what she had been saying then realized she had been talking about her memory. "My head starts to hurt when I think about what happened before my nightmare, and I have this feeling deep inside me that at any moment I could lose this."

Betel stopped, his smirk frozen on his face as he looked down at her. Was she going back to groin-kickng Lydia? No more snuggles? Perhaps he should back away now.

But she wasn't pulling away. He wanted to take advantage of this.

Taking her hands in his, Betel pulled her gently towards the bed and took a seat, staring up at her as if mimicking the warped night they shared not so long ago.

Lydia smiled down at him, running her hands through his hair that was so thick and she watched Betel shiver. She must still be cold but he didn't say anything about it this time.

Last time he had shouted at her and sworn. She knew very well how vulgar he could be, but he had never sworn at her before. It was unlike him.

"Did I do something bad before my nightmare? Is that why you're so angry at me?" She asked. Betel merely shook his head, capturing her cold, cold hands in his oddly warm ones and placed gentle kisses on the backs of them even though doing so made him feel colder than the day he died.

Lydia, on the other hand, was feeling warmth again in her fingers as Betel showed her how gentle he could be and that warmth was traveling down her arms and her spine until she could feel it all the way down in her toes.

She hoped he never let go.

He pulled on the hands he still held and placed them on his shoulders. Lydia seemed to get the hint and moved to sit on his lap, facing him and chewing on her lower lip.

_What's she so nervous about? Thinks I'm all big and scary? That's just kind of hot._

Not one to waste time, Betel let himself indulge in the taste of her and the feel of her.

His lips were on her shoulder and she let her head fall back as her eyes fluttered closed. It felt new yet familiar, dangerous but natural all at the same time. Her breathing was getting heavier as his hand smoothed its way up her back, tugging her dress up a little ways.

There were goosebumps all down her arms and legs, but it was no longer from the cold.

There was something sexy about seeing her straddling him while wearing his favorite trench coat. _I should try talking her into wearing that and nothing else. Maybe she'll do a pose for me or something... damn my pants are tight._

Betel Geuse was mesmerized by her. He did not leer at her or give her a corny eyebrow wiggle, he simply watched her reactions to his touch. They were under each others spell and Betel Geuse was starting to hope she stayed like this forever. Calm and gentle. It made him feel victorious, like he had somehow tamed a stray cat that had tried to claw his face off but now was content to be his pet.

He grazed his teeth across her delicate skin and had to restrain from marking her again. _She already belongs to me._

Lydia wanted to return the attention but she was too distracted by what Beej was doing to her. She kissed him right below his ear and was about to whisper to him what he was making him feel - but she hesitated when she felt his teeth nip lightly at her shoulder.

Though Lydia was completely sure she had talked with Beetlejuice about waiting until marriage, she knew there was a memory of something. Something right on the edge of oblivion.

_A long ago dream? It must be._

Leaning back, Lydia had opened her eyes so that she could look down into Beej's. He met her gaze but she could tell he was confused by her sudden withdrawal.

"What's the matter Lyds?" He whispered and it almost made his voice sound gentle. Almost. She liked that about him, how he was only _almost_ gentle.

"This is just so surreal. It feels like a dream I once had." She admitted with a small smile.

"Oh?" Betel had a wicked grin on his face. "When were you going to tell me you've been havin' dirty dreams?"

Lydia let out a squeal as Beej wrapped his arms around her waist and spun them around so that she was laying on her back and he was now leaning over her. However, the giggling was short lived as she felt the mood shift. She could feel how much power he had over her at this moment, and it excited her.

He still held her gaze and she could feel her legs shake a bit. Looking down she tried to will them to stop as they were quite embarrassing, but he interrupted her private battle with her body.

"Lydia, I wanna..." _This is so corny..._ "I wanna see your eyes. I want you to be looking at me."

Then she did look up at him, holding his gaze but not for long. It had done something to her to hear him actually use her real name. Grabbing a handful of the front of his shirt, Lydia pulled him down to her so she could finally kiss that damn mouth of his.

It seemed like so long since she had kissed him and she wondered why she couldn't place exactly when that was.

She felt more than heard him groan as she wrapped a leg around his waist. Having him so close to her was a heady thing and while some of her senses were in overdrive it seemed like others were hardly working.

Betel's hands were on her waist and he slid them up her side as he enjoyed the taste of her. It surprised him for only a moment when she took control and kissed him - but his surprise was quickly forgotten and he stopped thinking clearly.

Lydia's chest moved against his as her breathing became heavier and with her eyes closed she was reminded more and more of how familiar this all seemed. The way he touched her and the way he growled into her ear when her hands explored his body.

Her dream was becoming clearer the more he touched her, it was all becoming less surreal and she could vividly imagine laying in her bed and seeing a brown-haired Beej kissing her knee.

_What? No, Betel has blond hair. What am I thinking?_

She snapped her eyes open and paid closer attention to the man she loved. The only man she would ever be with who was currently driving her insane.

Somehow her dress had gotten unbuttoned and was bunched up around her waist, when had that happened? Now that she was not concentrating on dreams anymore and rather reality, she reached up and nipped at Beej's ear, earning another growl against her neck which made her grin wickedly.

Running her hands up his chest, she figured it was his turn to start undressing and he leaned back to take his shirt off obediently.

Remaining in his sitting position, Betel rubbed both her knees before letting his hands roam up her thighs. Lydia smiled and let her eyes drift close, hardly believing the things he was making her feel.

When her eyes were closed, however, images from her dream came back and she saw him again. Brown haired and young looking, but he was touching her just like Beej did.

_Who is this? Get out of my head, you're nobody._

"Nobody." Lydia whispered.

"What?" Betel asked and her eyes snapped open.

"Don't stop. That's all I said." She told him.

Shaking his head, his hand was getting dangerously close to where she wanted him most as he told her, "I don't plan on stopping. Not for a long time."

Leaning up to watch him was difficult, but Lydia didn't want to think of that stupid man who haunted her thoughts. Whoever he might be. Betel leaned over her again and she feared he may stop just to tease her but then she gasped as he slid his hand under the elastic of her underwear and finally he touched her just _there._

"Beetleju-" she began but he cut her off with a kiss, not intentionally. Her lips were had tempted when her mouth parted to gasp like that.

She hadn't realized she had closed her eyes again until she saw Nobody's face above her, clearer than ever. _Get out of my head, you're just a nobody._

_No, not a nobody. Not exaclty. His name... I swear I shouldn't know it but I do._

"Jack." she said in a whisper, though she was sure she had thought it.

Until Beej froze and she grew cold with the realization of what she had just done.

"What?" He asked, half a smirk on his face as though he was sure he had misunderstood.

"I-I don't..." she stammered, though she wanted to apologize and tell him she didn't even know Jack. Jack was from a nightmare and disguised himself as Nobody. That was the truth.

The smirk was gone and Betel reached up to grip her arms. "What the hell did you just call me?" He asked.

"Nobody. It's nobody." Lydia began but Betel wasn't going to sit there and fall for her tricks. He should have known she was too much of a little bitch to really act like how she had been.

_It was all just a trick._

Betel stood up and walked to the door with every intention of storming out of his room to go break most of his furniture. When his hand was on the door knob, however, he stopped himself.

Turning to her, he saw that she hadn't moved and he thought she looked like such a whore the way her dress was falling off her shoulders and still up around her waist.

He walked towards her and Lydia was hopeful and scared at the same time.

"This is my fucking room." He told her and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her off the bed roughly and she stumbled with a surprised shout.

"BJ, no I'm sorry just let me explain." Lydia tried, already feeling tears in her eyes.

"Just leave me the fuck _alone!_" He shouted and pushed her roughly out of his room. Lydia hit the railing and decided it would be a good idea to turn around and try to get back into the room before he locked it on her. Anything to make him listen to what she had to say.

"Beej wait!" She put her hands out to stop the door and what had seemed like a good idea turned into a horrible mistake when she watched her fingers get in the way of the slamming door.

When Betel Geuse slammed his door it had been to stop hearing and seeing her but it wasn't a second later that her piercing scream made him quickly open the door again.

Then he saw the blood and watched as Lydia slid down to the floor crying harder than ever.

Kneeling down beside her, Betel wasn't sure what to do but tried telling her to just calm down. It had been a long crazy day and at that moment he knew she had not been playing tricks.

_It's my own damn, **fucking** fault I thought she wouldn't start remembering things from before she passed through the door._

"You hurt me!" Was all Lydia managed to say between her sobbing. Betel looked at her cut with wide eyes. There were a few splinters sticking out of her fingers from when she hastily pulled away and he had never noticed until then what a shitty place he had brought her to.

_What do you do with cuts? I haven't had this fucking problem for a long, DAMN time!_

One thing he was sort of sure of, was that the splinters should probably come out of her fingers. Lydia wasn't her usual independant self and Betel figured making her right would go over fine as a way of apology.

He just couldn't shake off the feeling he had gotten when he heard her scream like that. It was a horrible feeling that settled in his stomach.

Holding her wrist delicately, Betel forced himself not to snatch his hand back from how cold she was.

_Should I take her to a doctor? There aren't any doctors here. Just unethical quacks. Unless we went to her world. No no no. Bad idea. She just has the chills. That's all._

"I'm gonna take these out."

Lydia nodded and sniffled noisily. "Okay."

Glancing up at her, Betel tried to tell if he was hurting her as he pinched one between his thumb and forefinger. Lydia inhaled through her teeth making a hissing noise but otherwise seemed fine. So far.

Lydia watched him apprehensively and curiously. This was the Beetlejuice she knew, right here. _So who had that been in the room?_

What was even more puzzling was the face she named Jack. She wished Beej would have let her explain properly, but he just jumped to conclusions. _I don't even know Jack. I don't think. He must just be someone from my nightmare._

_He's nobody. I can't hardly remember his face anymore._

Trying to recall what "Jack" looked like was giving her a headache and she started to wonder if maybe she had run into him just before coming to the Neitherworld, but the more she tried to think of the time before her nightmare the more her head hurt.

She cried out in pain, not from her headache but because Beej had finally decided to just get it done with and pull the sliver out quickly.

"Thanks." She whispered. "I think I can get the rest on my own now." There were still a couple more slivers sticking out and though Lydia could hardly remember it, she was sure Beetlejuice's other place was a lot nicer than this.

Standing, she walked away distracted in her own thoughts and offered no form of goodbye to the now very confused Betel Geuse. And a very confused Betel Geuse was never a good thing.

_Who was that? Groin-kicking fire-ball Lydia? Or lovey dovey bubbly Lydia? Why is she acting so insane?_

No right, Kise and I figured out mortals go a little wacky after passing through to Neitherworld. Whatever.

It looks like it's wearing off though.

Do I mind? I'm not sure which one I prefer. Seeing her stuck between the two is kind of interesting.

Her hand was throbbing but she hardly noticed. She felt like she had been awake for days and was just walking to stay awake. This new house was a bit bigger than... she wasn't sure what is was bigger than.

_Am I going crazy? Is this the whole Bridezilla disease or is that something else entirely?_

"At least if I go mad I'll look perfectly sane compared to the two people I'm living with." She muttered to herself before snickering at what she had just said. It was a little bit mean but she figured she was owed a few mean jibes at them.

Laughing felt nice and she wiped the tears away from her face and sniffled loudly again.

She had walked down the hallway to where she thought there may be a bathroom, but the hallway split off in another direction that was hidden until you stood right there in front of it. Her curiosity got the best of her as always and she turned into this darker hallway.

It was much shorter and had no doors, only another staircase which surprised Lydia. She hadn't realized there were so many floors in this house.

Looking over her shoulder, she could see that the space she had left Beetlejuice was empty and she wondered if she had hurt his feelings having called him Jack. Lately, though, she was beginning to question how capable he was of even having feelings.

_That's not right. He has many feelings, we've been best friends for the longest time. I've seen them all._

This is not the first time he's acted like this. Something must be troubling him. Like when... when we were... oh damn I was sure I just had an example. Why can't I remember anything?

I'm really tired.

Realizing she had been standing in the same spot and staring down the hallway for a good few minutes, Lydia shook herself out of her daze and walked down the hallway to the new set of stairs she had discovered.

They were closer together and Lydia had to turn her feet sideways. She clung onto the railing with one hand and held out her other in front of her as it was getting darker the higher she went.

She put her foot down and her heart did a little hiccup when she realized there wasn't another step. _I hate that feeling. Damn ghost steps._

Trying to feel around the walls for a light switch, she was reminded of how her hand still ached when she bumped it against the wall. Crying out softly, she held her hand to her chest and used her other, unharmed one to navigate her way around.

_I shouldn't have gone off on my own in this house. It will probably eat me up._

Get a grip Lyds, and stop being such a scaredy cat.

You've survived zombies after all, how bad can a house be?

"Zombies?" She whispered out loud. Her headache was coming back and Lydia could almost remember. It was so close.

Then she stubbed her toe into the wall and forgot all about the zombies as she hopped up and down.

_I'm gonna be all bruised and bloody by the time Mom and Dad come to visit!_ She thought with a smirk as she slid to sit on the floor.

Leaning against the wall, she rested her head against it and sighed. She had been curious to see where the stairs led her but now she was just tired.

Suddenly she felt the wall she was leaning on move and her eyes widened as she jumped away from her disappearing wall.

Turning, she saw that the wall she was leaning against had moved only a hair and a tiny sliver of light was shining down a vertical line.

Curious once again, Lydia pushed the wall forward and discovered she had actually been leaning against some of the dirtiest windows she had ever seen as they swung open with an obnoxious creak.

"Sheesh." She muttered and then inspected her dusty hand with a wrinkled nose.

"Oh great." She said when she saw how dirty her beaten up hand had gotten. The blood had gotten sticky and the dust wouldn't brush off it when she rubbed her hands on the front of her dress.

"Whatever." Inspecting the slivers in her hand, she decided she was a big girl enough to pull the last ones out on her own. At the time it had warmed her to see Beej be so caring.

Now, though, the more she thought about _why_ she had the slivers in the first place - because yet again he couldn't keep a top on his anger - she was getting really pissed at him.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she pulled the first one with a sharp intake of breath. _This will feel so much better when they're out. Come on, just one more._

Lydia shook her head and tried to get a grip on the last one, but it did not stick out as far as the others had. It was deeper and the more she messed with it, the worse it stung.

"Dammit!" She slammed her hand on the floor in anger but immediately wished she had kept her cool as pain shot up her arm. Her wrists were sore as hell from where Beej - _what a stupid name_ - when he had pulled her off the bed. Her arms hurt and her fingernails were turning an odd shade where the door hand slammed on them.

On top of everything she was shivering violently and it was making her back ache.

Curling up, Lydia held her knees and placed her chin on the dirty windowsill. _I'll just people watch and make my own problems disappear._ She thought to herself.

The more she took in her surroundings, though, the worse she was feeling. Just down the street was a horrible looking building with neon signs flashing about "Dead Nudes!" and all the shows they offered.

Her head began to hurt again and she knew it was because she was thinking how that whore house looked familiar.

Holding her aching head, Lydia could feel her throat close up and her eyes begin to sting and she scrunched up her face. The last thing she wanted was Beetlejuice to find her crying like some homesick kid.

She especially didn't want Kise to find her like that either, whoever the hell _he_ was.

Try as she might, though, her lower lip was trembling and she put her head down and tried not to let her crying be over heard from the people she hid from.

Laying down on the cold wooden floor, she tried not to mind the layer of dust as she closed her eyes and rested her aching body.

* * *

"Jackie?"

"Huh?"

"When you gonna take me somewhere?"

"Where you wanna go, doll?" Jack asked, his voice muffled in the pillow he was snuggling with rather than the attractive woman he shared a bed with.

"We could go to the moon." Candy said, leaning over him and watching his still body. She planted a kiss on his bare shoulder and whispered to him. "I could pack us a picnic. Lots of people go there. I hear it's nice."

He didn't say anything and Candy played with his hair, trying to get him to talk to her.

"_Jack._"

Jack turned around and faced her but didn't open his eyes. Instead he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him so that he could bury his face in her hair, snuggling with her like he had been with the pillow.

"You mean like a date?" He asked finally, Candy giggled because his lips tickled her neck.

"Yes a _date._ Silly goose. Why not?" Candy rolled her eyes at him. Over the last few days they had barely left her bed and she was growing kind of fond of her latest moocher. But she wanted more than a moocher this time.

"Candy. I'm just fucking you. That's it." He muttered into her neck but this time she didn't giggle.

She pulled away from him and as she sat up she could hear someone knocking on her door.

"Hey, come on doll. Don't go away mad." Jack mumbled sleepily, throwing his arm across his eyes to try and block out the light.

Candy put on her robe and tied it, not even bothering to waste a sour look on him since he wouldn't notice anyway.

"I'm just answerin' the door."

Her apartment had one room with an adjacent bathroom so the walk from her bed to the door was a short one. Opening said door, she narrowed her eyes at the grinning man.

"What do you want Binkley?" She whispered.

"Hello, you must be Candy." Patch replied loudly and stepped into her apartment, forcing her to step back though she really wished she hadn't.

"Jack, what are you doing in bed? We have things to do." Patch said cheerfully.

Jumping up, Jack was wide awake and covering himself with the blankets around him. Not that modesty was something familiar to him, but he wasn't about to show off when Patch Bingley was around. The guy still gave him the creeps.

"What are you talking about? I know I'm dead, I'm here and I'm having a good time about it. What more do we need to do?" Jack asked angrily.

"You haven't even gone through initiation - "

"What!? I never heard of no initiation! What a load of - " Candy began, her puzzlement clear on her face, but Patch talked over her.

"And there is the welcome committee who has been waiting for you, you need to figure out what kind of work you're going to be doing and where you'll be stationed." Patch listed off all these things and paused, waiting to see if Jack was following him.

Predictably, Jack was looking a little confused.

"Alright," Patch said, starting over. "We'll take small steps, ok? Get dressed and meet me downstairs."

Then Patch left and Jack was starting to get pretty pissed at being ordered around.

"Jackie." Candy said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. His words from earlier were forgotten, they weren't a big deal anymore to her.

"Yeah sweet tart?" He grumbled, slowly standing up and stretching. Using Candy's shower had gotten rid of all the glass, but he knew he'd always be walking around with gashes all across his body. Not that he could check out to see how bad ass he must look, there weren't any damn mirrors in this place.

"You should stay." She lay back on the bed, snuggling into her pillows. "You don't wanna leave this warm bed for him, do ya?" She asked, and when he didn't answer straight away she stretched her leg out and gave his naked bum a soft nudge.

Turning, Jack smirked and caught her ankle, pulling her towards him by her leg.

"Of course I don't wanna hang out with that freak, but I gotta go do official shit or whatever the hell he's talkin' about."

"Mhmm..." Candy replied, wrapping her other leg around him to try and pull him towards her.

"C'mon doll, he's waiting for me..." He tried to tell her, but she could tell he was already getting distracted.

"_I'm_ waiting for you Jack." She told him, and she had a satisfied smile when he finally came back down to her level.

* * *

Betel Geuse looked over at his bed where his nemesis lay.

She knew all his weaknesses. Screaming, beer, naked Lydia. It just wasn't fair.

And now she was sleeping in his bed, and preferably he would be waking her up to a nice fuck fest, but no. She had to be all mental and crazy.

_I don't know when she's finally going to snap and everything comes back to her._

All I wanted was to live like the living, have a pretty good time doing that, and get laid. Now I can't and it's all bullshit!

He had been reading one of his many books Kise had managed to steal when he suddenly thought it was way too quiet in his house. At first he got all paranoid because he hadn't heard from Kise lately either, so in a panic he started tearing the house apart.

Kise had been the one to find the hidden staircase and Betel ditched him to run up them and found Lydia asleep on the dirty attic floor. He could barely touch her, she was freezing so bad, but the two of them managed to get her downstairs anyway.

That had been almost two days ago. It had been a long time since he had been a mortal but he knew well enough that they didn't usually sleep that long.

Now she was in his bed getting it all dusty and making it look inviting but he knew if he went and laid down beside her he would end up rocking her world and then she'd never ever appreciate it. As she does.

_Maybe I should wake her up._ He wondered, gulping down his beer.

_It's been boring as hell around here. Kise isn't any fun, all he does is drink and talk about all the trouble he's been in._

I hate people who brag. I'm just so much better at it.

Standing up, he tossed the book back onto his chair and walked over to his occupied bed. He crossed his arms and tried to decide whether this would be a good idea.

_She needs to take care of herself and shit. I couldn't care less if she's sleepy, but she should know I'm bored as hell here._

"Hey." He said suddenly and loudly. No reaction.

Her hair was greasy as hell and her hand looked really bad. "You need to go do that smell good thing." He told her.

Reaching down, he poked her shoulder. "That's enough snoozin' babe. Come on. Wake up."

Finally she stirred a bit and made an animal like sound before mumbling something that sounded to Betel like "Not again."

"What are you talking about? Just wake up. I'm bored as hell."

"Just call in sick for me." She said, pulling the covers over her head.

It was a start, but she wasn't doing what he wanted and that kinda pissed him off.

Grabbing the covers, he flung them away from her and declared loudly, "Wakey wakey! Hands off... well you don't have a snakey so um... Wake up dammit!"

"Give me the covers back jerk - " Suddenly Lydia's eyes snapped open as she finally realized who she was talking to.

Sitting up quickly, Lydia looked at him with wide eyes before scrambling out of bed. She was pointing at him accusingly and gasping.

"Where did you take me you freak? Where's Barbara and Adam. I wanna go home! Betel Geuse Betel Geuse Betel Geuse!"

"You know, if we could skip to the part where you finally remember everything and then the part where you get over it, that'd be nice. Just sayin'." Betel said with a shrug, completely alright with her little outburst.

"Nuh uh. You just stay right there freakazoid." She told him, backing out of his room.

"Go ahead. Run. I dare you." Betel said with a big grin. Lydia hardly let him finish speaking before she turned around and ran for it.

Of course, her body was a little uncooperative since she'd been sleeping for the better part of two days and she cried out when her foot cramped up, but tried to keep going. The stairs were so close.

_I can just slide down the rail and dive out a window like in some action flick. It's gotta work, I'm desperate!_

Betel Geuse, having no idea Lydia was battling foot cramps, had decided to give her a little head start from where he stood in his room before deciding to go after her.

_One... two... thr - okay that's enough time!_

Then he took off running, turning the same direction she had gone. What he hadn't been expecting, though, was for her to still be right there and before he could manage to stop he ran into her and the two fell over. That wouldn't have been so bad, it was just too bad that hey had happened to fall over at the top of the stairs, making it a long and painful fall.

"I think I broke something." Betel said, wondering who the hell thought stairs would be a good invention.

"Get off me you freak, you're going to suffocate me!" Lydia shouted into his chest she was currently buried under.

"I don't know I'm kind of enjoying this. Kind of reminds me of what we were doing just a few days ago." He told her with an eyebrow wiggle.

Lydia just looked at him with a disgusted look on her face. "Dream on bug boy."

Betel just snickered. Screwing with Lydia's mind was starting to be his favorite past time.

"Okay I guess this isn't how it was exactly, it was more like this." He told her and rolled over, dragging her on top of him.

"Ow ow ow! My arm!" Lydia cried out when he moved her. "Dammit!"

"Did you get hurt?" He asked, loosening his grip. _That would really blow, how am I supposed to do the really kinky stuff if she's hurt?_

"Psych!" She shouted triumphantly and scrambled free from his loosened grip.

"Hey! Kise!" Betel shouted.

Kise, who had been enjoying the show, snapped to action when his boss called his name.

Running to the door, he blocked her way out with a grin.

"No leaving, Mrs. G." He told her in a mockingly stern voice.

"Who the hell are you? I do what I want!" She told him and tried to push him out of the way, but he was way too strong.

Lydia was freezing and scared. Everything was crazy and she couldn't remember how she had gotten here. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep in Jack's arms.

"What did you do with Jack?" She asked, turning to Betel Geuse. At the mention of Jack, Betel lost his playful mood and started to get a little annoyed.

_Guess I should have waited a little longer for her to wake up._

Lydia was still waiting for an answer and Betel just shook his head, walking upstairs back to his room.

_Back to the books. I'm not going to talk to her if all I get to listen to is how Jack is so fucking great._

"Hey! I'm asking you a question." She shouted after him but he kept walking away from her. With a frown she watched him go but stayed where she was, until she noticed the strange man Betel Geuse had called Kise was standing a little too close.

"What?" She asked when he didn't stop staring at her.

"Nothing. Just looking." He told her.

Shuddering, Lydia gave him a dirty look and walked away. Only problem was she had no idea where to walk away to so she found herself going back up the stupid stairs she almost just died on.

That's when she noticed her hand. She noticed there was a splinter in it and could see where the blood had come from a nasty cut on her fingers.

_What the hell happened?_ She was so confused. The last she knew she was taking a nap beside the large window in her attic.

_No, no remember I fell asleep in Jack's arms. The attic doesn't even have a window like that. I think that fall gave me a headache, I hope there's aspirin around here somewhere._

Her walk had taken her back outside the room she had just woken up in and she raised her unharmed hand to knock.

Taking his sweet ass time, Betel Geuse got up and opened the door trying to look like he was a very busy man as he leaned against his door frame.

"Yes?" He asked lazily.

_What was I coming up here for? Oh great I forgot, how could I forget? Crap now I'm staring at him, look at the floor. Okay, think of something to say!_

"I need to shower." She said, looking back up at him. She couldn't get over how weird this was to want to take a shower in his house when she didn't have any idea what she was doing there.

_Maybe it's a dream and I should just go with it._

"Yeah, you do." He nodded in agreement. Lydia rolled her eyes.

"Come on, don't be an ass okay?" She told him, "Give me my stuff, 'cause I don't know where you put it."

Betel looked thoughtful. "Well I could do that for you... but there's just one thing."

_Of course there is._ Lydia sighed, growing annoyed, and waited for him to tell her what that one thing could possibly be. When he didn't, she took the bait and asked through her teeth. "What is it?"

Betel walked towards her and she took a step away, bumping into the railing. Before she could step away to the side, Betel had his hands on the railing on either side of her - blocking her escape routes.

"If I show you where your stuff is, I get to watch you."

"What, get my stuff?" She asked, hoping beyond hope that's what it was. But she knew.

"I think you know what I'm talking about Lyds." He leaned his head down and nipped her ear and smirked when she gasped.

"I-I can just go without a shower." She told him, placing her hands on his arms. Betel didn't feel her push away, though, so he wasn't discouraged.

"Are you sure? You smell horrible." He told her.

Frowning, Lydia did push him away this time and gave him a dirty look. "You're charming Betel Geuse. Class-A charmer. Now get away from me."

She started to walk away but Betel reached out and grabbed her wrist. "How'd you know you're stuff is here?" He asked her.

"What are you talking about. I watched you pack it." She told him angrily, wondering how stupid he could possibly be.

"Oh okay, just checking." He said with a shrug and went back to his room. It was all he could do not to laugh.

Staring at the empty space Betel Geuse had occupied just seconds ealier, Lydia was going over what she had just said.

_How do I remember that? It didn't happen. This is just a weird dream because I ate some bad eggs or something. There was no suitcase packing. No... wedding. No zombies._

Try as she might, she was remembering everything vividly and each memory was starting to make her feel sick to her stomach.

Looking down at her beat up hand, she finally knew how the wound happened and there was anger building inside her. It made her hands shake and it made it difficult to think clearly anymore.

* * *

Betel Geuse could hardly concentrate on his books, that's how triumphant he felt. After all, if she wasn't screwing him he should still manage to have some fun another way, right?

Humming merrily, Betel flipped through his pages hardly noticing what he was reading. He was just too busy thinking about the look on Lydia's face when he walked away.

Until a loud crash ruined his happy thoughts.

Jumping out of his chair, Betel faced his bedroom door that had just been kicked in by his rather upset looking wife.

"You!" She shouted, raising her bloody hand to point at him with a crazy look on her face. "You _monster_!"

"Oh..." He said softly. _I didn't think she'd remember that quickly._

"I am going to kill you!" She yelled at him through clenched teeth.

Betel forced himself not to correct her, sensing he was about to get very hurt anyway in a few seconds.

_What? No I'm stronger. She's just a woman. An angry woman... with teeth and... fingernails..._

As Lydia stalked towards him, Betel stepped away from her and kept on backing up when she picked up a very thick book.

"Babe, doll face. Come on." He tried, putting his hands up to try and calm her.

"Don't call me pet names, _shit face!_" She shouted, throwing the book at him. Trying to dodge it, he ended up jumping right into it and grimaced as it hit him hard in the ribcage.

"You're gonna piss me off in a second Lyds." He tried to warn her.

"Oh yeah? Deal with it fuzz brain!" Another book was whipped at him and Betel was successful in dodging this one only to be hit with another. "You took advantage of me!" She shouted at him. "And you keep doing it! You're horrible!"

Betel tried to walk towards her during her ranting and raving but it was difficult as he had to keep dodging books.

Finally he was close enough to reach out and grab her arms, but he should have known touching was the wrong thing to do.

Her feet kicked out at him and when she got him real hard in the knee cap he almost went down, but he stayed standing and tried to be thankful she wasn't aiming for his crotch. For now.

Pulling her to him roughly, he shook her trying to get her to cut it out.

"Knock it off Lydia!" He shouted.

"No!" She yelled back at him and he could see the tears in her eyes. "I'm not fucking listening to you and I'm not just gonna bend over and lick your ass just because that's what you tell me to do!"

Then she stomped hard on his toes and he made the mistake of letting go of her in his pain.

Picking up a book, she hit him as hard as she could with it and then she kept on hitting him aiming where ever she could reach.

"You could see I wasn't in my right mind! And yet all you could do was think of how to get into my pants!"

Bending over already, Betel was being kept from straightening up all the way from her repeated blows. From the position he was in, he grabbed her around her waist and lifted her over his shoulder.

Of course that gave her the opportunity to kick him the in the chest with ease and she still had that damn book in her hands. Between trying to beat him up, every other word coming from her mouth was a curse word about his stupid face.

Setting her down in his chair, he glared at her but she didn't back down from it. Tears were streaming down her face now but she was oblivious to the fact that she was crying, she was too angry to notice.

"I'm a person Betel Geuse. I'm real, you can't just go around treating people like they aren't!"

"You're crying." He told her and she shook her head. He thought she looked hysterical.

Betel watched her and she glared at him but she seemed to be done lashing out at him. Physically anyway.

"I don't know where your stuff is. Kise had it. The bathroom is behind that door." He told her, pointed behind him to the bathroom connected to his room.

"Knock yourself out princess." Betel Geuse said quietly and before he snapped her neck for making him sound like such a pussy he stormed out of the room, silently blaming her for everything as she sat in his chair doing the same about him.


	9. Chapter Eight

Author's Note: I always seem to stick in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to listen to while I write and sometimes it feels like the soundtrack is what is inspiring me. Maybe it is. I've started a new story that isn't any fandom I've written for before. Why? I'm crazy, didn't you know that about me yet? Also, I don't want you to get spoiled and expect quick updates like this all the time. Although I am getting more excited about writing again, so there should not be a long wait like there was between Chapter Six and Seven. Thank you for the lovely reviews! Enjoy!

**Chapter Eight**

Patch looked at the door and grinned as a disheveled Jack came out.

"Took your time, huh? Not that I blame you. Any man knows how difficult it can be to leave what you just did." Patting him on the back, Patch smiled and told him, "It won't be very long before you come back to her. I'll make sure of it."

"Just tell me where we're going." Jack said, lighting a fag and looking up at the grey sky.

"Uh, right. Well I'm sure I mentioned the Welcome Committee already, we were actually supposed to see them on Day One so that you could have your book... no matter. They get late arrivals all the time."

Patch led them down the street and Jack lit one cigarette after another. _Might as well be smoking three at once, huh?_ He though bitterly.

"Alright, we'll have to call a cab from here. I don't really think that will be one of your job options, considering how you died." Patch tried to joke but Jack just stared at him.

Climbing into the green car, Jack was tempted to tell the driver to floor it and watch Patch get left behind in the dust, but he stopped himself and watched the other man get in after him.

"What do you mean about getting a job? I thought a perk in the After Life was sleeping in and eating and drinking and all that." Jack said, wondering what he had gotten mixed into. If they expected him to do an eight to five in Death, well they could all shove that dream up their asses.

"Only certain people get jobs. Civil servants I guess you can call them. It's random, I swear, but that's just the way it is." Patch told him.

"Oh yeah, random. Of course it is." Jack shook his head and stared out the window as they passed horrible houses. "Could I be a rock star?" Jack asked eagerly. _That wouldn't be so bad, right?_

Patch just gave him a small smile and said, "We'll see."

The rest of the drive they sat in silence and Jack started to become nervous about meeting this "Welcome Committee."

The cab was slowing down and Jack looked around for some official looking building, but all he could see was what looked like a dumpy old pizza place.

"What the hell Patch?" Jack asked, rolling down his window.

"Just a pit stop, Jack. Come on."

Scowling, Jack got out of the cab and had barely closed his door before it sped off.

"I thought this was a pit stop." Jack said, jogging to catch up with Patch who was already knocking on the door. "Why don't you just go in?"

Patch looked at Jack and shook his head. "I'm a patient guy Jack, but just shut up for a second will ya?"

Jack glared at Patch but before he could say something snotty the door swung open and he was staring at the massive chest of a very tall, large person.

Jack leaned his head back to see if there was a head on top of the chest-mountain and he saw a large bald head surrounded by smoke coming from a very nasty looking cigar.

"What's the deal Patch?" The stranger asked in a deep voice.

"Let me in, Vincent, and I'll tell you." Patch said, his creepy grin was gone and Jack looked back and forth between the two men.

"Is this the kid?" Vincent asked and Jack almost felt the need to defend his manliness by stepping up, but a second glance at Vincent's bulging muscles put an end to that ridiculous thought.

"Yeah it's him, stop fucking around man and let us in." Patch said, growing irritated. Jack looked at Patch with a confused look on his face, this wasn't cheery Patch. _He took me to meet his friends, they're probably all more crazy than him!_

Vincent seemed to be thinking it over for a bit before he finally stepped aside and Patch led the way in.

"What kind of pizza place is this?" Jack hissed to Patch.

"Only the best would do for Sheldon." Vincent replied instead with a rather smug look on his face.

"Is that you're girlfriend?" Jack asked, making small talk though not exactly paying attention.

"You better shut your fucking mouth before I pull it off!" Vincent shouted and Jack immediately realized what he had said. After a beat, Vincent added a well deserved, "Fucker!" and Jack followed them the rest of the way with his head down.

At least on the way through the deserted kitchens Jack got a view of the grimy floor and he was able to pass the short time counting the grease stains.

Their walk came to a stop and Jack tried to see past Patch, wondering where they were going.

They were facing a crummy looking door and Vincent knocked what was probably some secret code knock all the while glaring at Jack.

A small door slid open and Jack saw a pair of wide eyes before it slid shut again.

Behind the door were voices and Jack couldn't tell what they were saying but it sounded like there were at least two people.

Then the door opened and the first thing Jack noticed was who opened it for them. Gulping, he tried not to let his eyes travel. He'd seen the movies, she was probably the "boss's" special lady, then he'd be caught looking her up and down and be thrown out a window of a seven floor building.

Which was why Jack found himself studying the grease stains on the floor again.

"Paaaaatch." Jack looked up when he heard the voice. All he could think to describe it was that it sounded _oily._

"Good afternoon Sheldon." Patch replied, taking a single step into the room and removing his hat.

"Did you do good for me Patch?" Sheldon's voice asked and Jack almost shuddered. He tried to see over Patch's shoulder what the owner of that disgusting, wheezing voice might look like but Patch was too tall.

"Oh, you'll find I did well enough." Patch said and Jack could tell even as he faced his back, that he was grinning that large Cheshire Cat grin of his.

"I don't _want_ 'well enough' Patch. I want perfect, I want great. I want it now." Jack was starting to get nervous, though he tried to remind himself that he was already dead and it wasn't like he should really be afraid of these people. What could they do to him?

Jack looked around the room, what he could see of it anyway, but all he could see were dirty walls and a dusty ceiling fan that was broken with pieces hanging on just barely. On the back wall, above where he thought Sheldon's voice was coming from, he could make out a cracked picture frame and the edge of some sort of photograph, but he couldn't see what it was of.

His eyes roamed back to the woman who had opened the door for them. She was still hanging on the door and she had been watching him. Now she just stared back at him and for a moment the nervous feeling in him lessened.

"Of course not, Sheldon. I'm just saying for what I was offered - you'll have to make the final decision of course." Patch said, raising his hands defensively.

"Of course I will." Sheldon spoke in a disgusted tone. "This better not be a waste of my time."

"It won't be." Patch assured him.

"Good." There was a silence that was filled only by a disgusting smacking noise. "Let me see him then."

Patch turned to Jack and pulled him forward by the elbow. If Jack hadn't just laid eyes on possibly one of the most disgusting people he had ever seen, he probably would have been pissed. As it was, though, he was a little distracted.

* * *

Lydia sat in the chair Betel had thrown her into, wiping at her tears furiously. _What did I expect?_

Oh I know what I expected. I imagined in my little fantasy world that after several beatings he would succumb and send me on back home and tell me what he did to Adam and Barbara...

She looked over her shoulder at the door, half hoping he'd come back and get all melodramatic and half hoping everything around her would melt away and be the nightmare she wished it was.

Her gaze would not stay clear, she had started crying and knew there would be no stopping her for a while.

Standing up, she felt and heard her stomach growl but she ignored it. It would be a long time before she left this room so she walked to the door and locked it.

Lydia stood staring at the door knob, she didn't know what to do.

_I have to find Adam and Barbara._

I have to go back to my parents.

...I have to find where to start.

She sat back down and faced Betel Geuse's stack of books once again and looked down at the one she still gripped tightly in her hand.

She placed it in her lap and read the title out loud, "Handbook for Marriage Between the Living and the Deceased."

She ran her bloody hand along the cover that was so much like the handbook of Adam and Barbara's she had read.

_Why did he keep this from me? I should have been able to read it too._

The bastard.

Pausing, she inspected her hand that had been hurt so long ago and never properly cared for. She was starting to feel disgusted with herself for how gross she felt.

Holding the book to her chest, she knew she needed to hide this handbook if she wanted to read it later. Looking around the rather empty room, Lydia walked over to the bed. Getting down to her hands and knees, she peered underneath and found many boxes. Lydia tried to push them away but her hand was useless when she wasn't fueled with rage.

So she backed up onto her back and placed her bare feet on the box and pushed. It moved, slowly. A part of her was curious about the boxes, but at the same time she didn't want to know. Not at the moment.

Scooting under the bed a bit, Lydia pushed on the mattress so separate it from the boards that held it up and that's where she hid her book.

Betel Geuse may still find out she had it when it turned up missing, but at least it would drive him crazy when he could not find it.

A crash downstairs startled her and Lydia stopped herself from rushing to see what happened. She did not care and after seeing what Betel Geuse had made of her parents home she had a good idea what the crashing was.

_But I don't just want to hide up here either. I feel disgusting. I need to shower._

Lydia stayed where she was on the floor, however, and closed her eyes just listening to the crashing in the house. There was no shouting, she heard no obscenities or noises of rage. Only crashing.

After a while the house was silent, but Lydia had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like she had been sitting on that dirty floor for hours.

Then she heard the stomping and Lydia held on to her knees tighter, watching the door fearfully, willing the footsteps to go away again.

They only came closer and she scooted back wards, hoping she could sink into the wall.

The doorknob wiggled but it stayed locked. Someone pounded once on the door but Lydia did not answer.

* * *

Betel stormed towards the stairs but he stopped with one hand on the railing and looked down at Kise. Sitting on _his_ stolen couch. With it's questionable stains and bizarre looking holes.

Watching _his_ stolen television, with the shaky picture that came in black and white though it hardly mattered when all you had were one or two stations to watch.

He took his hand from the cracked railing and looked at the peeling paint and cracked wood in disgust. Dust was on his hand and he tried to rub it clean on his dirty pants.

_When has a little dirt ever bothered you before, Geuse?_

Betel Geuse began his descent of the stairs, all the while taking in every crappy aspect of his new home he had not noticed before.

Standing next to the couch Kise sat in, he watched the television program with his arms crossed. Lydia's place at least had that comedy station. What did he have? Neitherworld soaps and reality shows.

"Hey man." Kise muttered, obviously entranced by _Nights in our Death_.

_Six hundred years. More than that. And this is the best I can do?_

Tilting his head at the television, Betel Geuse stalked towards it and in one fluid motion unfolded his arms and pushed it off it's stand.

"Whoa, boss, what're you doing?" Kise asked, trying not to get pissed.

Betel Geuse didn't answer and instead began to tear the room apart around Kise who had backed away towards the stairs. That look was on Betel's face again, but he was not shouting. It freaked Kise right the fuck out and he just tried to stay out of the way as Betel turned the room into a disaster area.

He inched into where the kitchen was and found a new past time in sipping beer.

Betel Geuse hardly noticed him leave, but as the dust settled and he rested his aching arms he realized he was alone. Again.

He turned his face towards the stairs and the upstairs hallway, his gaze resting on his bedroom door.

Lydia was behind those doors in that room, that room that had belonged to the tubby pervert. Only a few hours he had watched her sleep in that bed, a disgusting bed he should have never let her lay in.

_I'll find a better house. In a nice neighborhood. No whore houses, no shitty furniture. This time I'll steal a better one._

At the moment, he couldn't stand the thought of her keeping herself in _that_ room of all places. The room he had taken those whores to. The room he had no idea what had been done in it with the last owner of the house.

Pounding up the stairs in a hurry, Betel Geuse was mildly aware of the noise he was making but he didn't care. He could make her use the couch or a guest bedroom or... no. The more he thought of it every thing in the house was tainted and the more he remembered how she looked with tears streaming down her cheeks the more he wanted to give her some place better.

_It's just for my own peace of mind. I don't want to deal with any more of her injuries. That's all._

He tried to go in to tell her all this, but the door would not open. No matter how much he tried to turn the door knob, it would not budge.

Feeling as though he might explode with all the rage starting to build in him again, Betel pounded his aching fist on the door. With his hand still around the door knob and his fist still against the splintering wood of the door, he rested in that position for a few minutes before he turned away.

Now he rested leaning on the railing and looking down at the mess he had made of the living room.

_Why did I do that?_ Betel Geuse began to question himself but before he could wonder any more at his impulsive decisions, he heard a loud cracking noise.

Before he could process that the noise was connected to the railing moving beneath his hands, it was too late.

He was already falling.

* * *

That hoarse scream had definitely come from Betel Geuse and it had been followed by a crash, but it wasn't the usual angry sound she heard from him.

_Did someone break in? Is that what is happening?_ She tip toed to the door and put her ear to it, hoping to be able to hear something.

For the longest time there was only silence but finally she heard the muffled voice of someone. It sounded like Kise.

Kise knew where her stuff was, she needed to speak with him.

Opening the door slowly, Lydia poked her head out and noticed the large gap of railing that was missing just across from her. She walked towards it carefully and peered down.

Sprawled on the floor in a pile of dust and wood, was an unconscious Betel Geuse. _He looks rather peaceful when he's sleeping. Or knocked out. Whatever._ And standing a few feet away from him was a worried looking Kise. Lydia rolled her eyes and descended the stairs.

"Kise, could you..." she began but she had looked at Betel Geuse again. Seeing him looking so weak had made her pause.

"Yeah boss's wife?" he asked, turning away from Betel looking very hopeful. _He must think I'm going to tell on him - did he do this? I really wouldn't think so._

She looked back to Kise and tried to stop thinking of Betel kneeling beside her, holding her injured hand in his warm ones.

"Just take him upstairs to his bed or something." Lydia muttered, though a part of her wanted to just start kicking Betel while he was down.

Of course then she began to think how she had been woken up in that bed - but that wasn't where she had fallen asleep. She had fallen asleep on the cold hard floor of the attic.

Someone had moved her to that soft bed.

Lydia watched Kise use his powers to take Betel Geuse upstairs. Watching them, she began to wonder why Betel had not used his powers on her whenever he would try to carry her somewhere or when she would try to injure him.

Looking down at her hands she remembered why she had originally left the room.

"Kise!" She called out and a moment later he appeared back at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah?" He asked, his tone suggesting he was a little irritated but Lydia ignored it.

"Where did you put my stuff?" She asked and Kise told her in the closet.

A while later, Lydia had her things hauled up to the room Betel Geuse was laying in and took all her "smell good things" as Betel called them into the bathroom that was actually a little clean looking.

_It's not like Betel uses the shower part. What did I expect?_

She stripped and stepped under the warm water, washing away the past few days.

* * *

Charles and Delia had shouted themselves hoarse, first at the men kidnapping their daughter and then at each other for being unable to stop them.

When all they heard was silence their worry grew, Charles pounded on the door but with his back Delia knew there was not much he could do.

She nudged him out of the way with her latest sculpture - a rather heavy abstract thing Charles never understood but as Delia brought it down on the door knob again and again, he blessed it.

The knob broke off and the lock was broken. Pulling the door open, the couple ran down the stairs almost tripping over each other.

Delia gave a soft gasp when she saw the state those monsters had left her house in, but she knew there were far more important things. Such as finding her step daughter and then showing those two men what happens when you mess with Delia Deetz's family of course.

"Where did they go? There was no car, they couldn't have dragged her kicking and screaming down town." Charles said, grabbing his hair. "Why aren't Adam and Barbara here?"

Delia ran to the phone and tried to dial for the police but the line was dead. She had forgotten.

"We need to drive into town and tell the police, maybe someone saw something, this town is full of nosy gossipers. Someone is bound to have been staring out there binoculars at some point in the last few days." Delia rambled on, looking for her keys to her vehicle.

"We'll take my car." Charles said when he saw how desperately she looked around. Delia followed him in a worried silence and they left their seemingly cursed house.

* * *

Betel Geuse had not packed any of Lydia's towels and there were only hand towels in his bathroom. Those only got her so far. It had been a rough battle but at last she was dressed and was towel drying her hair with the tiny things.

Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, Lydia looked down at the sleeping menace. For a moment she had the urge to walk over to him and tie her towel around his neck, but she knew it would not be so easy to get rid of him.

She walked over to the edge of the bed and remembered how eagerly he had taken her to this room. _Didn't he realize it wasn't me?_

He probably didn't care who I was. As long as I was willing.

For a moment longer she stood there watching him, and wondered with a hopeful smile if maybe he had gone into a coma. Then she could easily sneak out when Kise eventually passed out from his drinking and try to find the ones in charge.

Tossing the towel in the bathroom, Lydia got down on the floor once again and scooted under the bed to find her hidden book. There wasn't much light under there so she took the candle from the bedside table and brought it under the bed with her to read.

At least now, should Betel wake up, she would know and still be hidden from him. _I'm the human under the monster's bed._

Cracking the book open, she began to read all she needed to know about marrying the deceased.

* * *

The story about Sheldon's death was a mystery to everyone but him, but many theories had risen amongst his employees. Some claimed Sheldon had been tortured by Nazi's in their experimentations on open brain surgery.

Others believed it was a camping trip gone wrong when bears or wolves broke into his tent and tried to maul off his face.

Still, some believed it was a much darker secret than any other those. Something really terrible, it had to be to make Sheldon that grotesque.

Jack didn't know any of these theories or stories, all he knew was that this man with all these Death Deformities was staring at him with a look on his face that was freaking him the fuck out. He preferred Patch over this creep any day.

"A few gashes on his chest. A little... disappointing. The man said, rubbing his chin.

"They give me character." Jack told him.

"I don't remember asking you a _damn_ thing." Sheldon said, raising behind his desk and Patch shot Jack a dirty look.

"I don't remember giving a fuck what you ask." Jack replied, not about to be treated like shit. Not in his damn After Life.

Patch was looking at Jack with wide eyes and Jack turned to leave, but the pretty woman had closed the door with a small smirk on her face.

"Jaaaaack." Sheldon whispered and it made Jack's skin crawl. "_Jaaaack_" The voice said again and he had the distinct feeling that Sheldon was standing right behind him, whispering into his ear.

"Don't have a little fit Jack. It's so... unbecoming of you." It was the voice of a woman and Jack met her gaze, but he knew she couldn't have been the one who said that.

_I don't remember anyone telling him my name._

I must be in a coma and this is all some weird fucked up dream.

That has to be what this is.

Please be what this is.

"What do you want?" Jack asked, staring at the woman before him. "I'm about to leave if you fuck heads don't stop shitting around with me."

"We want you to join us of course!" Sheldon said and Jack turned around to face him again.

"I don't have much experience in the food business." Jack muttered and Sheldon threw his head back and laughed. It was a horrible gurgling noise that made Jack feel sick.

Finally growing serious, Sheldon looked at Jack with his good eye. "You could get into trouble with that mouth of yours... I'm going to let Vincent show you around. I was in the middle of something before the two of you arrived." Sheldon said and Vincent led a confused looking Jack into the kitchens again.

Patch had been about to come to but Sheldon's stopped him. "Not you Patch." He said, his tone had grown very cold. "Close the door behind you Vincent."

Jack watched Patch take a seat before the door was shut and Vincent was looking at him in a way that made him nervous.

"Time to meet the Welcome Committee." Vincent told him and he opened a door behind Jack. What Jack had thought had been a closet was actually stairs leading to the cellar.

"After you, princess." Vincent said with a chuckle and pushed Jack forward. Jack stumbled only a bit and sent the man a glare over his shoulder before descending down the stairs.

_I'm fearless. Fear doesn't exist here. These people are just dweebs who think it's cool to play gansta in pizza places._

Jack began to hear voices the closer he got to the bottom of the stairs and he repeated that thought in his head. _Fearless. That's me._

* * *

Betel Geuse's head was killing him. He had no idea how long he had been knocked out, but a glance outside his bedroom window showed it was nighttime.

Stretching out, he let out a groan and tried to urge himself to get up and go do things he still needed to do.

_I never even had fun with Adam and Barbara._

My little wife is ruining all my fun revenge plans.

Thinking about his wife, though, reminded him of his little fit he just had in destroying the living room. It reminded him that he had been planning on finding a nicer house to steal instead of this dump.

...It reminded him that he had fallen into the living room and that was where he should have woken up. Not this filthy bed.

Betel sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed but he had to pause as his head began to spin.

_Don't you just hate it when that happens?_

Rubbing his temples, Betel finally felt he could stand up all the way and began to walk to the door but paused again. He could have sworn he heard someone let out a puff of air.

Not something you generally heard amongst the dead.

The smell of smoke was in the air and Betel turned slowly back around, facing where he knew the sound had come from.

_There's a Lydia under my bed._ He thought and walked over to the bed.

Crouching down, Betel peered under the bed and said "Gotcha!" Though, his head began to spin again and he knew it was a mistake.

But he had found more than just Lydia. He had intended on letting her be a freak and be under the bed all she damn well pleased, but he recognized that book she was clutching to her chest.

With a frown, he reached under the bed and pulled a squealing and kicking Lydia out from under the bed.

_Just like old times!_

"How much of this did you read?" He demanded.

"It belongs to me too I can read it all I want!" Lydia told him.

Betel tried to calm himself, remembering how Lydia had cried only hours earlier about the way he treated her and he did not want a repeat of that.

"Alright. I just want to know how much you read. That's all." Betel bit out through clenched teeth and Lydia tried not to smirk.

"I barely got through the first page. It's probably the most boring book I've ever read." Lydia told him and Betel let go of her arms.

_I should have known she'd be too dumb to understand it. What the hell have I been so worried about?_

Lydia put the book into his hands. "Here, you can have it back. I'd rather read a magazine over that any day!" She told him with a smile and left the room.

Betel Geuse looked after her in confusion.

_How long was I asleep?_

As soon as Lydia left the room the smile turned into an evil one. It was so easy to make Betel believe things that weren't true. Too easy and it could come in use.

Especially after reading that book and all she had learned.

_No wonder he's been so useless. I can't believe he lost all his powers getting married to me! That must have been why he's so pissed._

Lydia covered her mouth with her hands and leaned against the wall. She couldn't let him hear her giggling.

_Now he knows he can't get laid without risking me kicking the shit out of him for all eternity._

Unless I made him believe...

No, no what am I thinking? That would mean I would have to actually... ewwww...

Lydia glanced at the door and took a step away from it as if to convince herself that was the better idea.

_But just once I would have to do it, just once and then forever I would have his powers._

What do I have to lose?

Other than my dignity.

I could save Adam and Barbara if I did it.

Would they want me to do it this way?

They wouldn't have to know.

Lydia slid down the wall and put her head into her hands, getting a head ache from how hard she tackled with her conscious.

The door opened of Betel's bedroom and it startled Lydia into jumping up. Betel just gave her an odd look before walking past her.

"Kise! Where the _hell_ are you!?" Betel shouted.

"I'm right here boss!" Kise called from the kitchen. "What d'ya need?"

"Lydia, pack your shit. We're goin' house huntin'." Betel told her and Lydia almost got angry at getting bossed around but then she thought of her little secret and it put her into a much better mood.

"Right away honey." Lydia responded with a smile and skipped back into his bedroom to get her things.

"Did your wife hit her head or something again?" Kise asked, from where he stood in the door way and Betel just shrugged.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Author's Notes:** I'm a horrible person who doesn't update enough, I know it and now I made this chapter so ridiculously long! Oh well, enjoy!

**Chapter Nine**

Lydia shut the door behind her and leaned against it, not minding the dust or the paint chips that got on her dress. Getting a little dirty did not bother her considering her present feelings.

_I always thought I had more self respect than this._

_I guess I was always wrong._

A very large part of her - the part she was listening to at the moment - was disgusted at her little plan. It felt so wrong to even be considering it after all the harm he had caused. It felt wrong and shameful.

But there was a tiny part of her that thought it was hilarious. That part of her was getting beat down by self-pitying feelings. It felt wrong to be laughing at the thought of Betel being afraid to get in her pants after all the times he had tried to take advantage of her... but it also felt good to know what was frustrating him and to know it was all because of her.

_Think of it that way. I'm not degrading myself. I'm getting back at the bastard and when I see the look on his face before I blast him into a million pieces with my mind it will be worth it. Maybe._

_I wonder if I would really be able to blast him into a million pieces with my mind. That would be neat. Sex with Betel Geuse is only a small price to pay for super powers._

_Sex with Betel Geuse. In a right world there would be no possibility of having to sex up the bastard. In a right world, I would be sexing up Jack and worshiping his raw bod._

_Which I can still do. Maybe. After I sex up Betel Geuse._

_I think I'm gonna be sick._

Lydia slid down the door and held onto her knees, trying to will away all the bad thoughts.

_And now we're going "house huntin'." I guess that means Betel Geuse gets to have all the fits he wants and it's okay if he wrecks the house, we can always steal a new one._

_What was he like with his powers on a bad day? Where he was in control I mean... of course Betel Geuse in control probably makes for a good day for him._

_I'm really over dwelling on the way Betel Geuse's brain works. Time to pack. Again. Oh joy._

Lydia was about to stand up and make herself do just that but her eyes had traveled to the bed, well actually underneath the bed. She could just see the corner of one of the many heavy boxes and she knew it was useless to even bother trying to talk herself out of looking in them.

_Maybe I shouldn't look, though. I mean yeah I'm dying of curiosity here but still._ Crawling under the bed, Lydia began to summon up her strength and didn't listen to her own sense. _I mean if even Betel Geuse thinks this is something that should be put in boxes and hidden from guests, it has to be bad._

The door swung open, though and she froze with her eyes wide. _I've been caught!_

Slowly, Lydia pulled her legs under the bed though she knew it was pointless. Never hurt to try though. If it was Kise he might just get confused and leave again.

Who ever it was was not talking to her and Lydia began twisting around, not noticing how her dress was getting dustier than before.

As soon as Lydia was turned around all the way she shouted in surprise. Betel had bent over to see what the hell she was doing and his crazy looking face wasn't what she expected to be right there when she rolled over.

"Um, Lyds, why are you under the bed again? The first time was kinda weird and all but this is getting ridiculous."

"I uh... I lost my brush." It was a lame lie but she wasn't big on honesty with this guy.

Betel made a show of looking at her hair and nodding slowly. "You don't say."

_Don't glare. Don't glare. It was a joke, laugh it off._

Lydia didn't laugh but then she didn't exactly glare at him either so she figured that was good enough. Swallowing her irritation at his presence, she tried to think of something civil to say as she wiggled out from under the bed. The boxes would have to wait for now. Betel Geuse had stepped back to give her plenty of space and that act in itself almost threw her for a loop.

"Are you gonna pack for me again?" She asked, wishing it sounded as light and kidding as she had meant it to be. "I've gotten kinda used to dumping all my responsibilities onto you is all."

"No, I came to get the books." He replied shortly, Lydia noticed the look he gave her and frowned slightly. He was not looking at her in a way that made her feel sick, instead it seemed as though he was weary of her.

She replaced the frown with as neutral a look as she could muster and took a few steps towards him. His back was to her now as he stacked the books and she would have tried to just look over his shoulder, but he was way too tall. Summoning up her courage, she took another step forward so that she was standing beside him.

_If you can't even pretend to be civil with him you're never gonna get his powers._

_He sorta smells. Not as bad as when I was fourteen, but he has an odor. A lazy man odor that kinda resembles storage space..._

Lydia meant to chit chat with him and ask him idly what he was reading all the books for, but while her thoughts began to take a different direction, she opened her mouth and said, "You smell like man."

Betel carried on with his task but she noticed him fumble with the one he held after she spoke.

_Why did I say that? You stupid idiot! Wait... that's kind of a compliment... Right? Sure... That's what it is. I'm being flattering. To the asshole. Go me._

"Um... sorry?" Betel said and grabbed his stack of books. He could only hold half at a time and Lydia thought she could get kudos points if she helped him - but she hesitated. The thought of helping Betel made her lip curl in disgust.

_Just think of Adam and Barbara... and your parents.... You are doing this for them and you are strong and amazing._

Snapping out of her thoughts, Lydia quickly stacked as many of the books as her short arms could carry and followed Betel out of the room to go work on her brownie points.

* * *

Betel was walking at a semi quick pace down the stairs in an attempt to put some distance between him and Psycho-Wife-Pants. Kise poked his head out of the kitchen just to see what all the ruckus was.

"Hey!" Betel said before Kise could retreat back to the beer. "Get me a bag wouldja?"

Kise pulled one out of the air without question and Betel stuffed the books in, trying not to get too bitter about how easily Kise had done that little trick.

_I miss bragging like that._

"Lydia's trying to pull something. Or maybe she lost her mind again, I can't tell anymore." Betel said quietly, aware of tiny footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Oh yeah?" Kise whispered back, "What's she doing?"

"Complimenting me on how I smell. It's wrong and messed up." Betel hissed. "Look I'm just warning you 'cause I must not have noticed before we got married."

"Right."

"Dammit, I gotta get the rest of the books." Betel turned around to go get them but stopped at the sight of Lydia in the kitchen doorway with an armful of his books. He noticed Kise take a large step back out of the corner of his eye.

_That's what her plan was! Ransom! I can take her, I'm not letting her kidnap my books. _Betel decided and looked at her suspiciously.

"Here you go, I saw how many books you were trying to carry so I thought I might help out a little." Lydia said with a shrug. That big cheesy smile was off her face but then so was that murderous glare.

This passive person was new territory and Betel was lost.

"Kise, help her get those into the bag."

* * *

After much shouting at each other to hurry up and both men watching Lydia once again struggle with her baggage, the three were finally standing in front of the house they were abandoning.

"Is this what life is with you?" Lydia asked breathlessly.

"If you mean fun and games - oh yes." Betel nodded with a smirk and watched Kise walk ahead of them, acting as their eyes for any wondering Policy Guards. It had been a while since Betel had been to any sort of nice neighborhood, but he knew that was probably the only way to find a house that wouldn't fall on their heads in the middle of the night.

He noticed all the dirt still on Lydia's dress and knew another feature about the house was that it would have to be pretty clean when they moved in. Or he could make Kise act as the house maid.

_I wouldn't know how to clean. Kise seems like a tidy kinda weirdo._ Betel Geuse thought, remembering all the shit Kise had given him about his hygiene habits back in jail.

"Not really." Lydia said, interrupting his thoughts. "I meant are you always on the run like this from house to house? Did you get yourself into some kinda trouble?"

Betel would have offered an excuse but he was distracted by an odd looking passerby who was watching his wife a little too closely.

"Tell ya what, babe. You keep that pretty little mortal mouth of yours closed for now and you can ask me all the damn questions you want once we get a shiny new house."

Lydia had not noticed the odd passerby and so she was confused between feeling insulted that Betel was telling her in flowery words to shut up or to feel weirded out and the tiniest bit flattered that he was using flowery words. Such as "pretty."

Before she could decide between being mad at being told to shut up or tease him for calling her mouth pretty, a shout from behind distracted them all.

"Hey wait a minute!" A gruff voice called from behind them. "You aint Betel Geuse, are ya?"

Betel looked over his shoulder and saw the odd passerby from before walking towards them again.

_Great._ He thought angrily, _Just what I want. A fan._

"I'd feel a lot better if you didn't shout my name." Betel Geuse grumbled as the passerby got closer.

"Why? What're ya worried about?"

"Oh gee." Betel said loudly, turning to face the stranger with a very irritated look. "Couldn't be because they got a wanted sign of me all over the goddamn Neitherworld, could it?"

The fact that the stranger responded in laughter really didn't do wonders for his mood. House hunting while powerless and wanted was enough to make anyone a little twitchy.

"You have no idea what's been going on around here, have ya?"

Betel didn't say anything in reply but simply looked at the other man. This guessing game everyone liked to play was getting really fucking annoying.

"I'm Kent by the way," Kent extended his hand and when Betel didn't move to accept it, Lydia did for him with that cheesy grin back in place.

"And as you know this is Betel Geuse, just a little shy around strangers is all, aren't you sweetie?" Lydia looked up at him and his murderous glare made her look away quickly but her grin never faltered.

"You were saying, Kent?" Betel said through clenched teeth, wondering why he surrounded himself with crazy, friendly people.

"Sheldon's out and about, I've heard that any Policy Guards or Carnage members he didn't take care of himself all ran for the woods."

"Damn." Kise whispered and Lydia looked between the stoic looking men curiously but reminded herself what Betel said about waiting to ask questions.

Betel was currently feeling very light headed. _I didn't - no please don't tell me I accidentally set free Sheldon. I just thought it would be fun to set out some harmless outlaws. Sheldon is not just a harmless outlaw._ "I uh... I didn't think they were keeping him in a prison."

"They weren't." Kent shook his head, "Had him up at the asylum with the rest of the whack jobs they couldn't keep close enough tabs on. Some of his more clever goons were being kept in the prison you helped break out though, it didn't take them long to go find Sheldon."

Lydia looked up at Betel wide-eyed. Kidnapping and being an insane poltergeist was something she had come to expect from him - but this sounded really really bad. There weren't any Policy Guards, which sounded like law men to her and she had really been hoping they would run into one.

By the sound of it, though, she was stuck in a world full of people like Betel Geuse and Kise.

"S'pose we'll have our pick of the nicer houses then." Betel said idly.

"The nicer neighborhoods were the first to be taken over by the Pits and right now they're at a full out war over territory with the Krows. So unless you got friends in any of those gangs - "

"Thank you Kent." Lydia was the one to interrupt him with her wide smile having noticed the look on Betel's face. "I think you've told us all we need to know." As she spoke she looked up at Betel with a questioning look who nodded silently.

They walked away ignoring Kent's goodbye and fond wishes. Lydia was a little surprised that he hadn't yelled at her for speaking for him like she expected him to and the fact that he didn't was very nice even though she knew it was because he was thinking about what Kent had just told them.

"Do you have any friends in those gangs?" Kise asked at last, breaking the silence.

Betel shook his head.

"Yeah well me neither, so where are we gonna go Betel?" Lydia looked over at Kise who had stopped walking and she paused as well. When Betel noticed she wasn't at his side anymore he halted and turned around.

"There's a whole world of nice neighborhoods." He said.

"And a whole world of criminals thanks to your cockiness." Kise snapped. "The house we just left was probably the best place for us because you know that any remotely nice place we go steal is just gonna get stolen from us."

It had been the first time Kise had snapped at him since they were sharing a cell. Until then, he had been so goddamn gracious for Betel freeing him that he hung around like his little side kick who currently had more powers than him.

"Kise." Lydia said softly, though she had nothing to say to make him feel better. She didn't want him to leave because then she would be stuck with Betel and she knew Betel was powerless so if those criminals did come back he couldn't protect her from scary bad men.

_Scarier, worse men I mean._

Kise looked to Lydia and her baggage. Ever since she had come into the picture their sweet life had gone down the drain. Betel was shouting and throwing a tantrum practically every day and all the beer was always gone by the time he came home from running errands or doing some other type of responsible shit.

"Unless you can find a better solution than getting gang banged by a Pit, or a Krow or a fucking Grass-Man - I'm staying at the house. I'm not walking into hell just so I can follow you, Betel."

Lydia was impressed by this little 'me or that' speech and filed it away for possible blackmail later. Betel couldn't let her know he was powerless, so she was interesting how he would play this.

"Nah." Betel said at last, an evil smile forming on his face. It had been a long time since he'd looked so happy. "I just came up with a plan."

* * *

**Some Time Ago...**

They had put handcuffs on them and Delia knew it was her own fault. When they were accused of being drugged up hippies and told to go back to the city instead of making stories up about a daughter kidnapped by ghosts something had snapped in her at last.

Then her fist was flying and the cops nose had snapped. When the police officer tried to restrain her Charles Deetz claimed they were man handling her and he went in with fists flying as well.

In hindsight it may have not been her wisest decision but at least now they couldn't send her away. Silver lining? She hoped it was.

The pale man sitting across the table from them called himself Detective Binkley but Delia didn't think he acted much like a man of the law. None of those people did. Even before she had let it slip about Betel Geuse being a ghost and the fact that the Maitlands were missing too, no one was making a move to help them.

They were told to sit in this room then the other and the next one and so on until someone heard her mention to Charles that the Maitlands were missing as well.

She should have known the Maitlands' death was well known in this small town but when they asked her questions the answers just came coming. Then the laughter started. Delia did not handle being laughed at very well.

"And I'm supposed to believe this story of yours?" Detective Binkley asked, pushing his sunglasses farther up his nose.

"We don't care what you believe, just help us." Charles begged. "Or find someone to help us. Some sort of psychic type heebie-geebie magic person."

"Well after striking many of my officers I'm not feeling very inclined to help either of you losers." Even as his words were harsh his voice was still smooth. Smooth enough to make Delia consider where he was coming from for a moment.

"Fine don't help us, but Lydia - she's been kidnapped by that man. She must be so scared!" Delia exclaimed. After all Delia was petrified so Lydia had better be petrified.

"Who am I supposed to call in for this? The Ghostbusters?" Binkley asked and though Charles knew he was patronizing them he nodded anyway.

"If you think it would help."

Binkley nodded slowly, his hands smoothing down the manila folder he had brought in with him. "What would really help, folks, if is some of us started telling the goddamn truth."

"But Lydia is - "

"Missing!" Binkley cut Delia off with a harsh shout. "Yes that I do believe, but you're little fantasy story is the biggest pile of shit I've ever heard, especially after considering all the evidence."

Flipping open the manila folder Binkley took out the glossy photos and slid them across the table to the Deetzes. Waiting a beat, the couple leaned forward in their seats to inspect what he was showing them and Delia gasped.

"What happened to Jack?" Charles demanded, Delia suddenly too over whelmed to speak. "This has to be connected."

"Oh you're damn right and I believe I'm sitting across from the the pair responsible for both incidents." Binkley replied cooly, snatching back the photos of Jack Harper's body. "Two of you are looking at charges of murder."

"Murder?" Delia shouted in disbelief. "Lydia has only been kidnapped, that's it. She's fine otherwise and Jack could have just been an accident how can you be so sure that somebody is out to get these two!?"

"Because _somebody_, Mrs. Deetz, tried to cover up Little Jackie's death as a drunk driving accident, only the funny thing is is that there wasn't a drop of alcohol in that kids blood. And that was way too obvious of a cliff for him to have just 'accidentally gone over'."

Binkley shook his head at the two miserable looking couples. The door opened and closed softly behind them but neither turned to look to see who it was. Delia figured it was police men, taking them away. Away from trying to help their daughter.

Binkley looked over their heads and nodded at who ever stood there before saying to the couple, "The two of you disgust me."

Charles barely had time to react before a pair of strong hands pushed him to the floor and covered his head with a black bag. Delia's piercing scream rang in his years before there came a blow to his head.

He tried to fight it, but the darkness enveloped him.

* * *

"This is insane." Lydia whispered.

"My plans usually are." Betel grinned and helped her down from the ledge she had been balancing on in an attempt to look over a very tall wall. Kise had disappeared on a mission and Betel wasn't about to be climbing up that high ledge. Not when the view was much nicer down there.

"I mean that I'm helping you." Lydia muttered, feeling awkward with his proximity but still working on her master plan and knowing if she leaped away it would not send off the right message. Despite how she desperately wanted her personal space back.

Betel was squinting at her with his green eyes and she almost thought he was going to get angry for some made up reason but then that smirk of his appeared on his big ole crazy mouth and she knew she didn't have anything to worry about.

"I was noticing that too but I figured you were just finally ready to admit you think I'm sexy. Maybe I'll get that honeymoon after all." Betel said with a shrug and despite how light his tone sounded she could see it in his eyes how dangerous he was. Those eyes that were no longer murky but looked clear and icy.

A shiver went down her spine as she realized her and Betel were flirting and she felt like she was in over her head.

Opening her mouth, Lydia tried to make her voice cooperate though it was extremely difficult when Betel kept getting closer and closer like that.

"Hey boss I found a uh... hey... what are you guys doin'?" Lydia's eyes snapped open and she jumped away from Betel. _When did I close my eyes? I don't want to flirt with him, I just want to get his powers. Think Lydia, think! With a man like Betel flirting doesn't have to happen for the whole sexing thing._ A shiver went down her spine and Lydia fixed a glare on Kise who has looking between the two of the suspiciously.

"What did you find Kise?" Betel asked, walked towards him. Lydia couldn't see his face but knew he must not have looked to happy because Kise decided it would be wise to start explaining himself quickly.

Biting her lip to keep the smile off her face, Lydia was unreasonably happy with the fact that she had that affect on Betel in just a few minutes.

_Things are looking up for me._

* * *

Kise had found a way in.

Sort of...

"I don't think this is very fair. Don't you guys think the ones who are already dead and don't have to fear death from really high things should be the ones doing this?" Lydia called down from where she was half way up the side of Juno's old home. It had taken them a good deal of shouting to get her to even consider helping them in that way but after Kise threatened to use his powers to turn her face inside out, Lydia jumped up onto the side of the building and began the slow trip up.

Thirty or so feet up, however, and Lydia was starting to want to go back down. The building was made out of large bricks that had the tiniest slots to hold on to making the climb border between possible and idiotic.

"You're fine Lydia, you're at least maybe half way to the top." Betel called up to her, really wishing he had his powers. "And we gotta stay down here because the um..." Betel looked at Kise for assistance.

"Because if we left you down here you'd probably get abducted by a gang member!" Kise shouted.

"Yeah!" Betel agreed, who actually was only making her go up because of the view but that sounded better.

"But it's so hi-i-igh...." Lydia whined, inching upwards as she did so.

"Relax Lyds. I... um... Kise will catch you!" Betel promised.

"Yeah, and I'll resist her feminine wiles too." Kise hissed earning an innocently confused look from Betel.

"I'm not real sure what you're trying to say." Betel said in a low voice, fidgeting with his earlobe and watching Lydia nervously as she covered another few inches of wall.

"What I'm trying to say here is that you are insane!" Kise replied, his voice steadily getting louder.

"Well it wasn't my idea!" Lydia shouted back, mistaking where Kise had directed that little accusation.

"That's the general consensus." Betel said in response, smirking up at Lydia.

"Leering at her is your right, I'll give you that." Kise went on, pinching the bridge of his noise irritably. "A few kisses while she's half naked are bound to happen, sure. But sneaking off for alone time under the guise of looking over a wall we didn't really need to see over just to flirt and get her all woobly over you? Are you _trying_ to get us killed by demon-wife out for revenge?!"

When Betel didn't respond right away Kise thought maybe he was ignoring him. He was right.

At the angry tap on his shoulder, Betel turned back to Kise with an odd smile on his face. "Sorry I completely zoned out once you said the word 'woobly.' What the hell are you talking about?"

An angry noise erupted from Kise before he tackled Betel.

Lydia turned and looked down at the two most annoying men in her life and shook her head in disbelief.

"This is no time to be fighting! I'm in mortal danger!" She shouted down at them. Trembling, she lifted her leg up to the next brick and screamed when her sweaty left hand slipped. Her feet lost their hold and she was dangling now, but the two men carried on their brawl down below.

She tried to grasp any brick she could but her fingers were too sweaty. _Heights need to die._ Was all she could think before her other hand slipped and she fell to the ground.

This time she didn't get knocked out but she squeezed up her face at the pain in her right ankle. Despite how she tried to stop them the tears were already flowing and she thought she was going to die of humiliation when Betel knelt down beside her.

"Why were you fighting?" Lydia asked, wiping at her eyes with the palms of her hands. There was so much pain and it wasn't going away but Betel said Kise would catch her and he didn't. Because they were too busy fighting.

_Why am I even surprised?_

"We were being dumb." Betel admitted and Lydia looked up at him with a big nod. "Kise is gonna go up, he already knows what to do. I'll stay down here with you." Betel promised, despite how he knew he wouldn't be up to protecting her should anyone who poses a threat stop by.

"You're bleeding." Lydia said. She had not gotten a look at Kise to see if there was any damage done to him and he was already halfway up the wall. Like some sort of fast monkey freak.

"I didn't even realize, you were screaming and I saw you falling it kinda distracted me." Betel muttered. "Did you uh... break something?"

Lydia shook her head. "I think I just landed real hard on my ankle, I wasn't that high up."

"Yeah well mortals are a lot more fragile than I think. Shoulda been Kise up there."

"Or you." Lydia whispered.

"Right... or me..." Betel watched her wipe the tears away again and was reminded that she was definitely up to something - even through her pain and tears she was not forgetting whatever devilish plan she had.

Sniffling, she met his gaze and held it before reaching a hand up to his face. His first instinct was to flinch away, associating contact from her with pain from the last few days but he noticed the gentleness and his suspicion grew.

He watched as she pulled her dress sleeve up to cover her hand and wiped at his slightly parted lips. Despite her dress being so dark he could see his shiny black blood on it and realized she was cleaning him up. She was trying to make him better even as she lay in the dirt still silently shedding tears over the pain in her leg.

Whatever her plan was, she was doing it really well.

"Moving to a better place was supposed to make you stop crying." Betel tried to joke but felt it only made the comfortable silence they had turn awkward.

Lydia's hand fell to her side and Betel regretted speaking right away, wanting the contact back.

"It's going to take a lot more than a new house to stop me from crying." She said and Betel almost told her not to be so damn depressing but he realized she was talking about being kidnapped, being taken away from her parents. Betel hadn't even paid them a thought since they said goodbye.

"Well it's annoying, hearing you sniffle all the time. Knock it off." Betel grumbled and stood up, leaving her by the wall. They were in Juno's private garden, where Kise had found the wall with enough access to the roof. Choosing a boulder at random, Betel sat down and concentrated on the dead foliage around them instead of the beautiful, crippled girl he couldn't make stop crying.

* * *

Kise jumped over the side of the wall with ease onto the roof. There were reclining chairs for relaxing and staring into the murky sky. A luxury he didn't think Juno had the time for but her job paid for anyway.

The job also paid for the finest security a home could have next to higher members of the Board of Carnage, but Betel had known Juno would be using minimal security when her job consumed her entire afterlife.

And minimal security was a breeze.

Although it had been Betel's plan, Kise was the one who found the way in in the first place.

There was a door that sat on a slant and Kise had the lock picked in a matter of seconds. Despite his recent anger at Betel Geuse, Kise had to admit the crazy man had fun plans. They just did not always go smoothly, but things were looking up.

Smooth was Benjamin Kise's made up middle name. Now all he had to do was make it to the bottom floor with out setting off any alarms.

Sure there would be no punishment from Policy Guards or anything, but he didn't want the gangs to be aware of their presence in Juno's home until after they figured out what they needed to know to get the security system running top notch.

Kise sighed happily when he reached another locked and oddly shaped door. _Work, work, work._

* * *

Lydia lay in the dirt and stared up at the colorless sky. Clouds above her threatened to storm but it was an empty threat. There was no weather in Neitherworld, no sun or water. Nothing would grow in the toxic place full of despair.

The garden she lay in suggested that at one point there had been a fair share of plants, skeletons of old trees stretched up towards the sky as if seeking warmth in their last days. Lydia wondered if the sky had been blue before and Neitherworld had been like a sort of heaven, but people brought sadness with them and turned everything to hell.

The sadness spread and leaked and she could hardly remember anymore if she had caught it like some sort of disease or if she was simply adding to the chilly surroundings.

"I'm cold." She told Betel, wanting him to fix it. "But you're warm." she added as an after thought.

"I'm used to it." Was all he said, his tone making it obvious how little he cared.

Lydia frowned up at the sky. Betel was more than warm, when she was near him she could feel the heat from his body and that had never happened when she was fourteen. Turning her head she noticed the healthy glow in his cheeks and noted again how clear his eyes were. No dark circles around his eyes, no sickly tint to his skin.

It was as if he was taking the life from her, her heat ran through his body and surged through his veins fueling every emotion into an extreme. Leaving her lifeless, cold and depressed.

_I don't think marriage between the dead and living was ever meant to happen..._

There was an archway near the wall she had just fallen off of and it was covered with dead vines that twisted and coiled. It led to an extravagant looking door save for its dust and cracks and Lydia's attention was brought to it when it opened and Kise stood in the doorway looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Did you time that?" He asked Betel.

Betel gave a grunt in reply, obviously not interested in the inevitable bragging. Instead he stood up and walked inside without a glance at Lydia. Seeing his target audience leave, Kise followed him into their new house and his tale of being a fast freak faded from Lydia's ears.

"No it's okay," Lydia said to the empty garden. "I'll just walk it off, tough it out. It's not like my ankle is killing me or anything."

The sarcasm was heavy in her voice and there was no one around to appreciate how well she had mastered that.

The damn bastards even left all the luggage outside.

* * *

Betel had eventually gotten rid of Kise with the suggestion that he try to figure out the security system in a hurry.

Being in Juno's home again brought back ancient memories that he tried to beat down. Smoothing a hand down the stairway banister, Betel frowned at the thick layer of dust that came off. He beat his hand onto his pant leg trying to clean it off while wondering how long she had drowned herself into work.

Of course more and more people were dying each year, but there were other case workers.

Juno just hadn't wanted to come home.

He stepped away from the stairs towards the cozy sitting room. With out sitting he knew how comfortable that couch was and how it was ten times better with a snarky woman curled against you, like a tamed lion. Through out their relationship she had always felt so proud of herself thinking she had snagged him but he was the lion tamer.

His foot came down on something hard and he paused before he could put all his weight on the object. Looking down, he stepped back and saw the broken piece of glass koala bear.

Betel held it gently and used his jacket sleeve to clean the broken gift as best he could, peering into its lazy looking face.

He had known something was wrong the moment she walked in the door.

_"We can't do this anymore." She refused to look at him and she sure as hell wouldn't say his name. If it hadn't been for the fact that they were alone Betel might not have even been sure she was talking to him._

_"What? Cuddle on the couch? I guess we have been doing it for a century - spicing things up aint a bad idea at all." Betel muttered, attempting to make a joke out of it._

_Her expression remained stoic but she bowed her head._

_"I would like it if you would have all of our things out by the end of the week." Juno told him, looking at her hands. She wasn't even going to acknowledge his ill attempt at a joke, and instead was going to pretend like he had just agreed with her. Like everything was aces. Like they were at one of her business meetings and she had just proposed some sort of well thought out project that was good for Neitherworld._

_Well dammit, he couldn't have her acting like that at a time like this. Maybe if he got her mad, made her yell it would feel better. This professionalism was unsettling._

_"Would you now?" He asked, playing with the hair at the back of her neck idly. "Well I would like to stay. Now why do I feel like I don't get a say in this?"_

_"This is my home Betel and I have the right to invite and excuse any guest that - "_

_"And I'm your boyfriend, your beau, your lover and lovee... and I have the right to be treated like it, not like some newbie ghost who needs the latest book on all your approved rules - "_

_" - I please and you shouting or making unfair statements isn't going to change that!"_

_" - and I'm not going to just lay down and be treated like that!"_

_By the end of it they were shouting over each other but Betel had gotten a rise out of her and she was looking at him at least. He was cunning like that._

_Juno held his gaze and he could see how she was struggling. He had been in enough fights with her to know that she was close to screaming at him just what he had done wrong._

_"You're total disregard for the rules is something I cannot condone in the working environment or in Neitherworld and our relationship is just a sign of my weakness."_

_"So I'm bad for your image?" Betel asked slowly, standing up and beginning to pace. That had never been a problem before. She had told him he was fun, a great distraction. Someone who helped her remember what it was like to live on the edge and piss off the authorities just because you can._

_"My... my job is on the line..." Juno admitted._

_Betel stopped his pacing and stood in front of the expensive dresser there for decoration._

_"Oh... I see." His hands gripped the edge and he looked down, running over her words in his head. This was all coming out of no where, she must have just made the decision to cut him off that day for there was no distance from her before. No hints that she was losing her job._

_The thought that she was either doing this as if on a lark or that she was hiding something even more from him was making his hands shake. His vision was getting blurry and he was aware of the anger about to boil over. He had never felt rage like this._

_Reaching out, he grabbed the nearest item. A silver koala bear with emerald eyes he had given her on their fifteenth anniversary. He threw it and it hit the wall opposite him making a satisfying crash._

_When he turned towards her at last, Juno seemed to realize what Betel she was dealing with at the moment and felt that satisfied feeling return when the look of fear crossed her face - but there was a painful feeling laced in with it as well._

_He wanted nothing more than to storm through the house and tear it apart - something he hadn't done since he found out he had died._

_Before the urge could take over he left the house and ran through the garden that suddenly was too green. Confusion and anger burned his vision and he let out a shout of rage._

The sound of the door slamming brought Betel out of his memories and he dropped the glass koala head. Attempting to act casual, he brought his shaking hands up to his head and smoothed his hair back before turning towards his wife.

Lydia limped the rest of the way into the door dragging her baggage. He watched her close the door and felt a pang of guilt. Leaving her outside had been dumb and mean for no good reason, especially after bullying her into climbing up the wall.

"Let me help you." Betel walked forward and Lydia could hardly wipe the look of surprise from her face.

The journey up the stairs was long with Lydia's limp but he figured she would want a shower with her smell good things and last he knew the good bathroom was on the second floor, connected to the master bedroom.

Leading her in, he left her for a moment telling her he was getting her stuff and was back in no time panting and puffing.

"Thank you Betel." Lydia said quietly, honestly not sure if she should be thankful after the way he had been treating her.

"Don't say that." He said roughly, all the sudden feeling a ton more guilty than before.

"O... kay..." Lydia said slowly, hefting her bag onto the bed and wincing at the pain on her ankle. Just a little while longer and she could get off her feet again, but she really needed to take care of her smelliness.

Betel walked forward and began to help her unpack. "I should have helped you up first thing, not get mad and storm off." He admitted, avoiding looking at her. He opened Juno's old dresser and noticed how bare it was.

_She wears business suits now, they are all in the closet probably..._ He thought but tried not to dwell on it. He didn't care and that was that.

"You are really quick to anger." Lydia agreed.

Betel didn't say anything as he stuffed her clothes in the drawer and couldn't help thinking to himself, _Wasn't always like that._

Lydia stood there holding her shampoo and a change of clean clothes, watching him curiously. He was an alien to her. His bouts of rage and lecherous behavior made these rare moments where he acted like a human almost special. It was as if any second he would turn around and tell her he would set the Maitlands free and let her go home.

That was just silly to think, though.

"Go ahead and take your shower. Kise is getting us all set up and I'll get you settled in." Betel told her over his shoulder.

Lydia worried her bottom lip, knowing she should try to keep up with her plan but when he acted like a human it was harder to treat him like a pig.

"You could uh... join me. If you really want to. I guess." She said nervously.

That made him stop. Abruptly.

Her socks fell from his hand and she saw his back get rimrod straight. It was obvious just what was going through his head, Lydia thought it was something like _Naked. Soapy. Lydia. Being wet. While Naked. Must. Touch._

Betel turned to her and he wondered if she really was up to something or if his manners towards her was actually giving the impression that he just had a sudden change of heart.

_Doesn't she know how dangerous I am?_ Betel thought. _A little guilt won't change that._

Indeed he had automatically thought of her wet and naked and all the things he would do with her, but he made himself stop. As Kise had earlier pointed out, giving in to her wiles was a ridiculous thing to even consider and if she did think he was having a change of heart that did not change the fact that he didn't trust his crazy, evil planner wife.

Bracing himself, he walked forward and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Lydia, don't take this the wrong way. You're really good looking and bendy and I will admit that I like kissing you and your skin is all sorts of soft and you smell damn good, but that's it! I just think to make all this go aces we should keep our relationship strictly a business type one. Which is why I'm going to be sleeping in the guest bedroom and Kise will be... I dunno, somewhere else I guess. Well no definitely some where else because he won't be with you or me. I mean, look." Betel shook his head with a sheepish look on his face. "We can't give into temptation Lyds."

Then he was gone.

And Lydia was left standing there gaping like a fish out of water.

_I just got turned down by Betel Geuse. How in the hell does that even happen?_

Her daze was interrupted when her stomach emitted a loud growl. _Oh fuck that, I am not limping all the way down the stairs and the all the way back up..._

Instead Lydia limped all the way to the door and shouted, "Kise! The lady of the house is STARVING!"

_That should do it... now for a shower while I wait for food. Mmmm showers..._

* * *

There had been no food waiting for her when she got out of the shower and Lydia had tried her hardest not to pout.

"Sorry Mrs. G. There's no food in the house." Was all Kise said in response and tried to walk away.

"My hunger isn't just going to _disappear!_" Lydia told him with her hands on her hips. It had been a long time since she last ate and she was afraid if Kise kept saying no she might start to cry and end up begging him to get her food.

"Kise, go get food." Betel shouted up the stairs. Then as an afterthought, "And beer!"

The thought of getting beer seemed to stop Kise's reluctance and he was out the door before Lydia had time to wonder how he would manage to pay for the food... or what kind of food one could get in Neitherworld.

"And would you go lay down and get off your ankle?!" Betel's lovely voice rang up from the living room. Lydia peered over the railway at him and intended to glare at him but instead her eyebrows rose in shock at what she was seeing.

"Have you taken up a new hobby?" She asked, eying the dust rag in his hand suspiciously.

"I just... it was dusty and not right... And I don't think I need to explain myself so stop looking at me like that!" Betel was trying his hardest not to look like he had just been caught doing something really bad but that look on Lydia's face was making it hard. "Just go lay down and wait for your food."

"Alrighty, I'll go back to being useless. No problemo." Lydia saluted him and limped away.

Betel went back to work all the while muttering about crazy wives and their big noses full of crazy.

The time passed quickly for Betel as he dusted and rearranged, trying to find a way to make his surroundings seem less intimate to him. For Lydia, however, Kise seemed to be taking an eternity to get back. At this point she hardly cared what kind of food he brought back, as long as it was _food!_

She thought maybe she could read a few of those handbooks to try to take her mind off her hunger but then she remembered the bag of books was downstairs and that was a long journey to limp.

When she tried to limp down the hallway to explore, Betel heard her and shouted at her to get back in her room. He was regaining bastard status... weird caring type bastard status but still.

So when she finally heard Kise bang open the door and Betel yell at him for his muddy shoes an odd emotion ran through her. She was happy.

Kise came to her room and she looked at him expectantly from where she sat on the bed she now got to call hers. Until she went home that is.

"I swiped - uh... got you these diet type things. And water, just cause I know you aren't really getting outta the house much and wanted to look out for the boss's misses." He handed her a plate of steaming vegetables and rice... a tiny tiny plate. Then he handed her the water and stepped away with a look like he expected her to start bouncing up and down with joy.

It was funny how his tone could sound so caring and she still wanted to murder him at the moment. _I wish I could kill you._ She was sure he did this on purpose, he had been rather cranky towards her all day.

"It's tiny." She stated, her tone a bit condescending.

"And you're welcome." He left quickly which was good because she was starting to get the urge to throw her shoe at him.

Kise's good mood disappeared once he left Mrs. G's room. Sure he thought it was funny how irritated she just got considering all the work he was having to do because of her, but he had something on his mind that was kind of ruining his mood.

Walking down the stairs, he saw Betel sitting in a chair and staring off into space.

"You'll never guess what happened to me." Kise announced, breaking the eerie silence. The look Betel shot Kise was a murderous one and he was starting to get the feeling Betel didn't like guessing games. "So I'll just tell you." He said quickly.

"Good plan."

"I got approached by Patch Binkley." Kise waited for the news to reach home. After a look of confusion passed Betel's face, a shocked one settled in its place.

"Did you do that thing we talked about? Where you pretend not to know English?"

"No, I think Patch remembers pretty well that I speak English." Kise said with a frown and took a seat on the couch not noticing how Betel's hands clenched when he did so. "He was there on behalf of Sheldon."

"'Course he was." Betel growled. "That fucking spineless twerp. Never any good for anything but licking the asses of crazy, creepy folk."

Making a face at that image Kise decided not to comment and just went on with his story. "He says Sheldon wants you to go to their place next week. Didn't say what for, just that you better be there."

Betel stood up abruptly and began to pace. "Shit shit shit, this is bad."

"It aint good." Kise agreed.

"You know I can't go. I can't go 'cause if I go he'll find out about my 'little condition' and then he'll turn me into his little pet or project or whatever the hell he does with people he's stronger than." Betel shuddered and stopped pacing.

Kise watched him, he could suggest he just go up and start sexing his wife but then the question was who were they afraid of more - Sheldon in power or Lydia in power?

"We're fucked."

"No, no you still have powers." Betel began, his voice urgent.

"Yeah, but - "

"Kise you gotta cover for me. I freed you from jail!" Betel was a second from begging on his knees and if Kise hadn't known what kind of things Sheldon was capable of he might have started laughing.

"I get it, got it. I'll go talk to him."

"What time?"

"Tuesday at midnight."

Betel didn't respond and just settled back into his chair. He really wanted something to be angry about again to replace this feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of his stomach. They were totally fucked.

* * *

The pain in Lydia's ankle woke her up in the middle of the night. Sitting up, she massaged it and noticed the swelling had gone down but it had decided to get a random cramp it seemed like.

This was welcomed, however, on account that it had woken her up from a very unsettling dream. Before the pain her dreams had been filled with green mist and roaring monsters. Betel was there and he changed faces like masks in a Halloween store. One moment he was angry at her the next he held her gently and whispered in her ear.

Words were forgotten but she remembered what truly gave her the chills when remembering her dream. She dreamed of Jack, dreamed he was there with her but the last place she wanted Jack was in the Neitherworld.

Her stomach growled, interrupted her thoughts and she began to think about what an asshole Kise was.

The walk down the stairs was a little easier but her ankle wasn't really one hundred percent aces yet. Although she was pretty surprised she had healed that quickly seeing as she could have sworn it had broke when she fell. At least that's what it had felt like.

Inspecting the hallway, Lydia found the kitchen from the light that shown in through the windows. It was a full moon out as it had been every night in Neitherworld. The nights were clearer there and for a moment she might have confused it with her world.

Eventually she found her way to the kitchen and when she raised her hand to open the odd looking fridge she noticed how quickly her hand was healing as well.

Maybe it was something in the air, being around dead people or something. Logic wasn't really concerning her at the moment, getting food was.

Opening the fridge she had bent down to retrieve her diet food stuffs.

"Hungry?"

Lydia jumped up with a shriek and turned around, she soon narrowed her eyes when she saw it was only Betel Geuse.

"Wha?!" She asked breathlessly, speaking over his snickers.

"Wondering if you were hungry." Betel said with a shrug.

"No I was just doing my hourly inspection of the fridge." Lydia rolled her eyes and grabbed a pack of food. "This is gonna be gone by tomorrow night I bet."

"Kise would get you all the groceries in the world if it meant he got to steal them and get beer too." Betel said, flicking on a light.

"Isn't stealing kind of considered an average day thing when you live in a world full of thieves?" Lydia asked idly as she read the directions on the back of the food pack.

"Well sure but I don't have the heart to tell him."

Lydia smirked at him from over the package in her hands and noticed he had brought his book with him. The one he read the most often, the one about their marriage.

Popping the food into the hazardous looking microwave, Lydia drummed her fingers on the stone counter top and sighed. Microwaves took too long but at last it was done with an obnoxious ding and she took her steaming food out and carefully made it to the table next to Betel.

As she took a seat she noticed him glance at her out of the corner of his eye and tried to bite down her smile.

_Resistance is futile little man. Especially when I possess your only weakness. A female body. It will soon be my turn to laugh evilly!_

Her ridiculous and possibly sleep-induced thoughts made her giggle softly as she blew on her food.

"Got a joke?" Betel asked not looking up from his book.

"No." Lydia said and realized she did so a little too quickly when he fully turned his head to look at her. "Don't judge me, humor isn't a strong point with me." She said and took a large bite of food to shut herself up.

"Liar." Was all he said before turning back to his book and if Lydia didn't know any better, she thought his tone sounded pretty light. Perhaps she should try that sexy time thing again.

_After I finish my meal just in case it works._

_Oh God what if it works?_

The time passed in a comfortable silence and when there were only a few bites left she began to get a little nervous.

"Uhm..." She began nervously and when Betel looked at her abruptly she felt like she was losing her nerve. Usually his back was to her when she got the nerve to say something to him, looking him in the eye wasn't such a great way for her to try to work the moves on him.

"If you're done you should go to sleep, you got bags under your eyes, babes."

"It's freezing in my room." Lydia began, fighting the nervous stammer threatening. "But maybe if you would - "

"I'll get you another blanket or something." Betel said and stood up quickly. She watched him walk away feeling like the Neitherworld's biggest freak.

As the days passed Lydia noticed the house get cleaner while furniture never seemed to stay in the same place for a whole day. Meanwhile, the tension was starting to suffocate her.

_Was I too clumsy? Does Betel think I know?_

_That's crazy thinking. He probably thinks I fell in love with him and in his opinion how could I not? Maybe he's just put off that I took so long. I'll have to try harder._

Trying harder didn't really seem like an option, however, as Betel would hardly stay in the same room as her for more than a few seconds. Her days passed in mind-numbing boredom with Betel avoiding her like the plague and Kise too busy being either annoying or just downright insulting.

When she discovered that she wasn't told to stay in her room and the crazy people of the house hardly paid any attention to her, Lydia began to think it might be a good time to try the running away thing again.

However, Lydia only entertained the idea of running away for a couple of days. There were several reasons why she decided against it, and she felt that despite her kidnapped status they were very good reasons. For one, once leaving the luxurious house she would be in a world full of horrible gang members with no clue where to go and she would be defenseless because of the next reason. She had not done the deed with Betel Geuse.

The final reason, was that she was indeed locked in the house. She knew Betel had ordered Kise to lock the house so no one could get in but it was putting a bump in her little plan. There were actually several bumps in her plan but that was beside the point.

The point at the moment was that she was unintentionally locked in the house and had no idea how to unlock it and hated how easy Kise made it look when he left to go steal food for her and beer for them. After searching the walls for key pads or something of the like, Lydia began to grow frustrated.

Until she realized that Kise probably had some sort of Super Secret Lab somewhere where he could control the security system. Betel told him to figure it out and somehow he did. Sometimes she really considered the possibility that Kise had a brain.

The next day Lydia had tried to stealthily follow Kise around in hopes of him leading her to his Super Secret Lab as she figured he went in there and played with it and probably spied on her like some sort of sicko.

She thought she was doing quite well, in fact, until he caught her and accused her of having a crush on him and said something about "wiles." After his little lecture that actually made her feel sheepish before she realized he was in no place to be giving lectures and acting stern, he realized he had something more to tease her about.

Lydia left quickly once he went on about her little crush on him.

And she had avoided him since, just as Betel was avoiding her.

The next chance she had to talk to Betel was the day Kise was fretting about the night he had his meeting with Sheldon. The only reason Lydia was even hanging around looking for something to do that late at night was because her boredom and being very inactive had wrecked havoc on hers sleeping schedule and some days it was late morning already by the time she fell asleep.

By now her ankle had healed completely, a fact that was puzzling her now that her hunger was gone and she had time to deal with logistics but at least it made the trip down the stairs easier when she heard Kise shouting about being late.

"You can't be late for my meeting with Sheldon, are you insane!?" Betel shouted, pulling his hair. It had been a while since Lydia had seen him do that and she couldn't help but smirk at how frantic the pair got. Sometimes she wondered who was married to who around here. "Get outta here! And be careful you moron!"

The door slammed behind Kise who was making a run for it.

"Where's Kise going?" Lydia asked Betel though she knew full well already. Betel must have been very worried because he had not left the room as soon as she opened her mouth.

"He's going for me to my meeting with Sheldon. Who should really be exiled to the Woods on account of him being creepy as fuck." Betel informed her as he looked out the window anxiously.

Not quite sure what exactly 'the Woods' meant she tried to keep the talk flowing as it was her only form of socializing for the past few days.

"Huh. Wonder why he wants to talk to you so badly then." Lydia thought she should be commended for how well that didn't sound like she was trying not to laugh at him.

"No idea." He told her over his shoulder. "But the less we see of him the better. I just want him to tell Kise what's what then leave our business forever. It blows my mind people even encourage his insanity."

"Yeah..." Lydia nodded and before she could stop the words she added, "Well then why don't you just go over there and blast him to the moon with all your powers you have?"

It was the second time that week she got to see her words make his back go that straight. He turned to face her and as he finally realized he was socializing with his wife he left the room without another word.

Betel wasn't a fool. Well all the time. If the words and tone weren't a clue that look on her face after she said that was all the proof he needed.

_I do believe my wife is trying to get into my pants... To destroy me._

* * *

"Charles?" Delia asked the darkness, her voice shaky.

Whatever had been covering her head was taken off and Delia squinted against the light that was blinding her. Her hands and feet were bound and there was no one there with her, only shadows and the whispers that lived in them.

In the back of her mind it occurred to Delia that she may have finally gone crazy but she beat that thought down.

"You tell me where my husband is right now or I swear I will find whoever you are and murder you all for what you're doing here. You think I don't know this is wrong? This is not how it works when someone goes to the police! I want my lawyer! Where's Charles!? _Lydia?_"

Delia's shouts were frantic and eventually she didn't know exactly what she was saying but she needed to shout over the whispers to make herself heard.

"The victim is unsteady. Detain her."

"Sheldon's orders were for them to be awake while going through the door, so's he can watch."

"Do it."

Delia's world went black. Patch Binkley looked down at her curiously. The lady had already seemed to have lost it, along with her husband. This little experiment might prove interesting.

* * *

"Jack. Wake up."

Jack woke up thinking there was an earthquake as one of his cell mates shook him awake. Backing up quickly, Jack looked around at his dirty cell and slowly started to remember where he was.

Four other men were in there with him and Jack itched all over as well as ached from his 'bed' made of loose straw.

Since Patch had brought him to meet his buddies, Jack had been kept in the basement along with at least fifty other men from what he could see. The sounds of them attempting to hold back their sobs kept him awake most nights and Jack wondered what exactly he did to deserve to be sent to Hell. Sure, he wasn't perfect but he knew plenty of worse people and he didn't see _them_ sleeping in cells and listening to fellow prisoners discussing the possibility of second deaths.

Jack had no idea what went on when the other men were taken upstairs. He didn't let himself imagine, that would simply drive him insane and when they brought him upstairs he needed his wits about him so he could escape.

Suddenly he wished he had told Lydia he loved her. Had she gone to his funeral, crying like she had when he shouted at her? Maybe that person with the freaky-ass name didn't make her cry like he did. Maybe she was happy he was gone...

Hell, he wished he had told Candy he loved her. Then maybe she would realize he had disappeared and might come looking for him. Of course women like Candy had men tell them that all the time then leave. If anything she was probably happy he was gone too.

_Maybe that's why I belong here in Hell. I only make people happy when I leave._

"Jack, you're spacin' again." Chad told him, the one who had woken up.

"Sorry. Whatcha wake me for anyway? I was dreamin'." Jack asked, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He noticed the urgency in Chad's voice but decided to ignore it. By now, Jack had given up in trying to persuade Chad from believing in superstitions, but his cell mate held onto his beliefs firmly. The one bothering him at the moment, Jack figured, was that he had caught Jack "spacin'" again and according to Chad, that was what happened when forgotten souls tugged at your brain in hopes of getting a new body.

After the week or so Jack had been through, however, he wondered who the hell he was to tell Chad his beliefs were wrong. For all he knew there _were_ forgotten souls tugging at his brain.

"Your turn." Was all Chad said in a soft voice before rolling over. Jack frowned at the back of his usually talkative cell mate. Before he could ask what the hell he was talking about now, a large shadow covered him.

Looking up, Jack was not happy to see the intimidating Vincent-ape-pit-bull-giant and hoped he had made a mistake and would soon walk on by.

"Harper. Your turn." Vincent grunted. Jack stood up on shaky knees wondering how Chad knew it was his turn and what exactly it meant to be his turn. He didn't want a turn, he wanted to give his spot up to someone else and go to the back of the line again. He liked his ignorance, he didn't need to know went on upstairs.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a bad day." He said and his comment earned him a growl from the large man before he grabbed Jack roughly at the back of the neck and forced him up the stairs.

Along with his knees his hands began to shake. Whatever they did up there was going to send him over the edge, he could tell already and he didn't want to go over the edge. Why couldn't he just grab Vincent by the shoulders and tell him he didn't want to do it? Jack had the image of him doing just that and in his little fantasy Vincent turned into his mother, took him by the hand with a gentle smile and a nod and walked him home, never letting go of his hand. He longed for that soft, comforting touch.

Vincent shoved him hard in the back, making Jack trip over the last step and fall out of his fantasy until he hit the grimy floor. He had hit his knee against the step and breathed in sharply through his teeth at the pain.

"Get up, ya fucking girl." The rough voice of Vincent was behind him, giving him barely a moments warning before there was a sharp kick in Jack's rib cage. "Fun hasn't even started, baby boy."

Jack stood up, trying not to rub his side or wince or show any sign that Vincent had hurt him.

"Move on." Vincent shoved Jack's back again and they continued walking. They walked past the door Jack knew led to Sheldon's odd office and they stopped outside a scuffed up metal door. Knocking three times, Vincent pushed the door open and Jack looked with wide eyes at all the freaky looking devices set up. He wasn't sure how to describe them other than they looked like something in that movie about the Jigsaw killer. Jack wanted to go home.

_I don't deserve to be here. I don't._

"You belong in Hell _Jack._" Jack had been hoping he would one day forget what his name sounded like when said by that oily voice but it didn't work when the fucker insisted on doing it every time them met. Shuddering, Jack looked to the deformed man and said nothing.

"Strap him in that one." Sheldon pointed to a wooden chair that looked like it might break if Jack sat down but it held steady as Vincent shoved him into it. Jack was so thoroughly to it that he was forced to look straight ahead. Wiggling his toes, he felt a little better knowing he had control of something but didn't let himself think about how pointless that was.

"Jack, you're trembling." Sheldon said and Jack couldn't help but notice the obvious excitement in the gurgling voice. Jack noticed the pretty lady with the wides eyes was there and she was being all silent again. She was a nice distraction away from Sheldon's creepy looks and voice and he began to wonder if she was like Sheldon and Vincent, all creepy and violent? Or was she like him, scared shitless? Not really weak but not really a match for the likes of Vincent the bear-pit-bull-man-ape-person-giant.

"You belong in Hell Jack." Sheldon said, obviously feeling this was a fact that needed repeating. "And you know why."

"If I agree is this over for today?" Jack asked, pulling against his restraints.

The woman walked forward and slapped him hard across the face. He could feel the blood trickling out of his nose and he knew that was going to bug the piss out of him since he couldn't wipe it off. Narrowing his eyes up at the woman he noticed her eyes weren't wide because she was scared. They looked vacant, like a doll. Still, maybe she was like him but she was also a tool.

"Thank you Sally." Sheldon whispered. Jack noticed he didn't say her name the same way as his. Maybe Sheldon didn't like the ladies so much.... as long as he felt the same way about the guys too. _Thoughts going away from Sheldon's preferences. I don't need to have puke all over my face as well as being scared._

Sally retreated back to the shadows with her head lowered as Sheldon stepped forward.

"When you make your cute little comments as if your trying to be funny it just makes it so _obvious_ that you have something to hide, Jack. Not for long, though. This is Hell, Jack. There are no secrets here." Vincent was messing with something behind Jack and he strained to see over his shoulder to keep an eye on the man but there was hardly any room to struggle.

A grubby hand settled on Jack's shoulder, making him freeze and stare at Sheldon who was much too close. Jack could smell Sheldon's rotten breath and his stomach lurched at the pus running down his face from the open sores under his eyes.

Sheldon either hadn't noticed how green Jack was getting in the face or was used to this response for he went on, still invading Jack's personal space. "This is a brilliant little machine they showed me when I was a patient in the asylum on top the hill... it shows us all the things you've done with your life. It shows us where you belong, but I already know where you belong."

"How? I never took this little test thing." Jack's voice was barely working from all the emotions running through him at once.

"I'm Satan." Sheldon stated simply, standing up straight at last but Jack didn't breathe any easier.

"You're insane." Jack wasn't sure he had said it out loud since the other people in the room were ignoring this statement.

Vincent was rolling what looked like a projector screen to the area in front of his chair while Sally stepped forward holding wires and looking especially empty at the moment. Sensing he wasn't going to like whatever those wires did, he tried to flinch away as she came towards him but the straps were too tight.

"I'll make a deal with you, Jack. The Devil likes making deals." Sheldon said, watching his minions work with a smile that made the sores on his face open and close with a horrible squishing sound.

Jack tried to listen as Sally came closer to his face with the wires. They got within centimeters of his skin and he watched them in horror as they latched on and began to grow. The first one burrowed into the tear ducts of his eyes and he cried out. They were crawling on his face and under his skin. He heard them scratching into his ears and he bit down on his tongue to keep the cries at bay. It was getting difficult to pay attention to whatever the hell Sheldon was talking about. Something about deals.

"Would you like to hear it Jack?"

He knew Sheldon was asking him about the deal but he could hardly hear him over the scratching behind his eyes.

"Jack?"

"Yes." Jack groaned. "Tell me."

"You let us watch everything you've ever done in your life. If the tally for all the good things you've done stays high we let you go... but if you are too bad we punish you as we see fit."

_What's the worst thing I've ever done? Harsh words? Said 'whatever' to my mom?_

"Alright! Just - get it over with." Jack bit out as Sally guided the wires to grow under his nails

"Sally, that's enough. He's hooked up." Sally let go of his hand and walked to the wall where there was a switch and as his body was trying to repel the wires attacking it he watched her flip it and cried out as he felt the wires grow faster under his skin. He realized they were connecting themselves to every inch of his skin, so they wouldn't miss a thing.

_I don't have anything to worry about. Torture me with your fucking wires all you want._

His eyes were trying to close against the wires digging themselves into his retinas and as he struggled he had an odd sensation forming at the base of his spine. It was hot and there was an image in his mind of a big ball of energy crawling up his back. He felt his skin morph and stretch to allow it clear passage. He rolled his neck as he felt the energy leak into the backs of his eyeballs and his eyelids were forced open as his life poured onto the screen before him going a hundred miles a minute.

Everything was seen through his eyes and he got a sense of nostalgia as he watched his tiny child hands play with monster trucks in the dirt. That memory wasn't interesting, they flashed forward. A kid taller and bigger than him was kicking sand in his eyes. Fifth grade.

**Forward.** He was staring at his Jr. High girlfriend's boobs. She had the biggest in their class and would let him touch them in the seventh grade. He was the coolest kid ever that year.

**Forward.** He was in the park at night handing over money to a stranger but he wasn't sure what it was for. He couldn't think of what age this was and the scenery surrounding them was blurry. A tiny bag of white powder appeared in the shadow man's hand and Jack's greedy ones snatched it from him before those same hands shot around the man's neck.

**Forward.** The girl he was holdin firmly in place distantly resembled Lydia and her face was distorted in pain as his hands held her in place. His own panting could be heard over her loud cries for him to stop but it sounded alien to him.

**Forward.** His neighbor's cat lay dead and mangled at his feet and he looked down at his hands, both bloody and a screwdriver in one.

A mangled cry escaped Jack's throat. Jack tried to tell them these weren't his memories but the wires were in the way.

_They aren't mine. Don't judge me for what isn't mine!_

**Forward.** The kid his hands were strangling couldn't be more than how old he was when he got to fondle his first breast but they weren't really his hands. They couldn't be.

_I'm in the twilight zone. Make it stop make it stop make it stop._

It did stop.

The switch was flipped and the wires pulled out quicker than they wentm in, making Jack feel blessedly empty but he couldn't think. He couldn't see and he felt like his body might explode.

"Those aren't mine." His voice was harsh from his throat being so abused.

"It never lies." Sheldon was coming closer as were Vincent and Sally. "Your punishment will be painful and long but after what we viewed we cannot be blamed. It's what you deserve."

"No no no. You can't. It's broke. I swear." Jack pleaded as Vincent began to undo his straps.

Sally was walking towards the wall of stranger looking devices and Jack began to pray for the first time since he was a child.

A small knock came at the door and Jack opened his eyes in surprise.

_An angel?_

Vincent opened the door and Jack frowned when he saw Patch Binkley there with a heavily scarred man.

"Where's Sheldon?" Patch asked.

"I'm here." Sheldon said, his tone making it obvious how unimpressed he was at the moment. "Did you forget that I'm not to be disturbed while I'm in this room?"

"Yeah, but it's time for that appointment with Betel Geuse..."

"Is Betel Geuse here?" Sheldon asked, eying the scarred man.

"No. He sent Benjamin Kise in his place. Somethin' 'bout a honeymoon." Patch said with a shrug.

"Fine. Take Jack back downstairs." Sheldon barked at Vincent and led Kise to his odd looking office.

Jack went without struggle, the trip to his cell passed in a daze all the while thinking, _I'm innocent. It wasn't me, there's no way I could ever do those things._

Kise stood nervously before Sheldon's desk and fidgeted with his baseball cap as Sheldon surveyed him over his glass of whiskey. It was making Kise's mouth water and had Sheldon not been incredibly insane he might have told him how rude that was but he would rather keep his tongue.

"You're Kise." Sheldon stated and Kise nodded in agreement. That he was. "I scheduled a meeting with Betel Geuse. Not Kise."

Kise swallowed loudly. "Yeah, uh he wanted to come... Meant to really but his new misses was just crazy."

"Crazy?"

"I mean wild." Kise covered quickly. "Not crazy, she was just going wild. 'Cause it's their honeymoon and all so she wants them in bed the whole time know what I mean?"

"No. Not really."

_No, guess you wouldn't._ Kise thought with a small nod.

"I'm irritated Kise. I had a patient I was trying to help, very troubled you see? We were going through therapy when you walked in and now I think I'll just have to start all over from the beginning with him next week."

"Oh." _What the hell kind of therapy..._ "I'm very sorry."

"I know." Sheldon sipped loudly from his whiskey and Kise tried to refrain from licking his lips.

"Tell you what, because I'm so interested in talking to Betel on business matters I'll let it go without getting offended this time."

Kise visibly relaxed as Sheldon said that but immediately tensed up again when he added, "However... if he sends someone else other than him again I think I'm bound to go a little... _crazy._"

The smile he gave Kise was all manners of creepifying and Kise had to beg himself not to shudder.

"I understand and I'm sure Betel will too."

"Good. Have him here tomorrow night and we'll see where we stand. Now get outta before I decide to practice my therapy on you."

Kise ran.

* * *

Betel was lounging on the couch, taking up most of it so that no little wife of his could sneak on in and snuggle on beside him. No matter how much he wanted her to do that - if she was going to be doing it with out evil intentions and plans on revenge.

He held Juno's Nox Box and turned it idly, watching as she sat there like a statue refusing to look at him. She was probably aware of how helpless she truly was at the moment but Betel wondered if she could hear through the green walls surrounding her. If she could she would be aware of how helpless he was as well and what his stupid actions had done this time. If Lydia got his powers and forced him to set them all free, he was going to get yelled at so badly.

_I deserve it._

The door crashed open and Betel scrambled shove the Nox Box back in his pocket and stand up expecting the worst but was relieved to see it was just Kise.

"Good news!" Kise exclaimed and Betel looked at him without even bothering to try and hide his confusion. "There was a 'sale' on beer! In which I mean they were stocking beer and I just stole half a truck load. And made 'em fit in a bag this small with my powers!"

As Kise held up the bulging bag Betel realized his sidekick had been drinking. _If he went to Sheldon's like that I swear I will take him right back and offer him up to the bastard._

"And the meeting, Kise." Betel said slowly. "How did the meeting with Sheldon go?"

"Oh, that." Kise's face crumpled and he set the bag of beer on the dining table. Betel cringed at the very loud thud it made. "He's very angry and never wants to see me again or he'll put me in therapy."

"Really?" Betel asked. "What kind of therapy?" _Is it painful? Let's sign you up!_

"I dunno, but he says you gotta come tomorrow night for a business meeting or he'll go oogly boogly on all of us. Or maybe just me. And you. And your wife."

Betel pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to swallow down his irritation. "Kise, go drink in your room or something. Or, you know what, just stay there I don't care. I'm going to bed."

Betel walked up stairs to where his room was and didn't even glance at Lydia when he passed her in the hallway. She tried to mask her hurt but when the only two people in the house acted like you were the ghost it got kind of tiresome to pretend you didn't care.

* * *

Lydia tried to sleep but she kept thinking about what Kise had told Betel. His meeting was the next day and she knew if Betel made him mad the way he made everyone mad he might not be coming home.

Which meant she might not get another chance to get his powers.

Throwing her covers back, Lydia got out of bed and tip toed out of her room. She had not yet been in Betel's room and her hands were beginning to shake as she turned the door knob slowly.

Thankfully the door opened silently and Lydia tip toed in before closing it just as slowly behind her. The bed seemed to be as nice and big as hers and in the middle in a large clump of blankets Betel was sprawled.

Carefully she pulled a small section of the covers back and crawled in.

_This is it. It won't be so bad. Sex is just sex. It isn't love or mushy feelings. It's our bodies touching and being... close and oh God just do it!_

Scooting a little closer to him, she gently ran a hand through his crazy hair amazed yet again at how warm he was. It made him easier to touch, that warmth he seemed to have stolen from her was incredibly tempting as it made the ice that filled her up seem to melt away.

He was still under her finger tips and she leaned forward tentatively allowing herself to hesitate once more before she grazed her lips along his forehead. It was not slimy or grimy like she feared it would be. Bodies tended to remain in the same state they were when they died in the Neitherworld and Lydia wondered if he hadn't gotten back to his state from before because he didn't have his powers to make the disgusting stuff stay on.

Realizing she had let her lips linger longer than she originally planned, she pulled away and studied his sleeping form. No response yet.

Gently, she planted a few small kisses just below his ear and was pleased to at last hear a sleepy "Mmmm."

His arm wrapped tightly around her waist and his hand splayed across her back sent warmth up her spine that she needed more of.

"Betel." She whispered into his ear, her breath causing him to stir a little more.

"Hmm?"

"Touch me." She hadn't meant to sound like she was begging but it seemed like it had been so long since she had felt that sort of warmth. _I'm just saying what I'm sure he wants to hear, that's all. That's really... nice..._

Her eyes fluttered close when she felt him return her kisses along her jaw line as he pulled her body flush against his. After a moment, however, he buried his face against her chest and mumbled, "Sleepy."

"Sleep _later._" Lydia told him, curling a leg around his waist. That got him moving again. He lowered one of his hands to grab her bottom through her pajamas as his lips sought out hers.

He tasted like cigarettes and home. The way he intimidated her as he pulled her body underneath his and deepened the kiss made her feel safe and secure. When they pulled apart and she got his powers she would see him for the bastard he was but at the moment she wanted him to over power her and do all the things he promised.

Simply because of how he tasted.

Betel pulled away and let her catch her breath. Looking up at him, Lydia recognized the look that was in his eye but she could also see he was thinking hard about something.

Having had enough of the no kissing thing, Lydia sat up to get the taste again before pulling on his shirt. She knew her hands must have been like ice as she smoothed them up his chest but he didn't even shudder. Maybe she was getting warm again.

His chest was fuzzy, not smooth. Not like Jack's.

That was good. He wasn't Jack.

His hands explored her body, wanting to touch as much of her as she wanted of him. They had to break their kiss again as they both pulled at each others clothes. Lydia let him pull her night gown off before tossing it away carelessly.

The feel of their chests touching was causing Lydia to make small noises of desire in her throat as the delicious fire spread throughout her body. She was feeling more alive than she had since he forced her to marry him but it was not love. There was no love, only need. There had never been love during this act, not for her.

Betel was caressing her breasts and when he decided he needed to taste them any thoughts of hesitation stopped as her head rolled back.

The noises Lydia was making were out of her control and she was only midly annoyed when he pulled away and laughed softly. Mostly, though, she was suddenly very horny and wanted that laughing mouth to get back to what it was doing.

In the back of her mind she realized she was probably enjoying this a lot more than she should have, she knew she should have been disgusted and her hands should not have been caressing as much as they were but in the context of things she found Betel's proximity intoxicating. Perhaps it was the Neitherworld's laws of their marriage taking affect now that they were finally being intimate with each other. Whatever it was it was a heady thing that was clouding Lydia's thoughts and her ability to give a good goddamn.

Making a noise of irritation, she pulled at his stupid button down shirt and his soft laughter turned into a loud guffaw when she cried out in frustration and pulled at it, sending a few buttons flying.

"You're absolutely right. Color was all wrong for me, I have no idea what I was thinking."

"Shut up and kiss me." She growled and he was glad to obey. Where once she had been talkative during this act she found that there was no time for it, only for kissing and touching and feeling so damn wonderful. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she ran her hands through his hair and savored the comfort of his embrace she sought out.

Laying down, she pulled him with her and she let her hands wander again as he did the same. Her hands smoothed down his round stomach, enjoying the feel of it compared to his fuzzy chest. Betel trembled as her hands went lower and he mimicked her movements by pushing at her underwear. Rolling her hips up to meet his, he groaned and pulled her panties off.

The warmth had seemed to center into her stomach and was fueling her moans and caresses. Lydia felt her Betel's hands travel lower and gasped when he nipped her earlobe and touched her just _there._

She pouted when he stopped kissing her but she was pleased to watch him slid down the length of her body to taste her most intimate area. Fingers gripped flesh and bedsheets and Lydia's moans were getting louder. Betel had been telling the truth about what he could make her feel and in her state she wondered why the hell she had not taken him up on that offer the first time he mentioned it.

The pressure was building, she could feel it in her stomach as she heard the blood rushing in her ears. Arching her back, she cried out and held onto the headboard to keep herself steady from the things he was making her feel.

When she had settled back onto the bed, breathing a little harder than normal, Betel crawled back up to lean over her body and had that crazy looking smirk of his looking especially devilish. She could not help but smile back a little sheepishly, knowing she had gotten a little loud.

"Thanks." She said breathlessly.

Betel covered her mouth with his and she could taste herself on his lips. Without thoughts of evil plans or kidnappings and lost parents, she wanted him to make her feel like that again and soon.

"No problem, babe." He growled into her ear when he pulled away. Reaching up, he pinched her nipple teasingly before saying, "Now maybe you could return the favor?"

Trying not to look confused, Lydia looked at him in silence and didn't quite get it until he pulled his pants down over his waist. Smirking, Lydia smoothed her hands down his chest before reaching down with one hand and stroking his length. His arm that held him up trembled and it only got worse when she wrapped her hand aroung him.

Betel groaned, and Lydia found that she enjoyed the feel of his hand gripping a handful of her hair just on the line between gentle and unpleasant. "Nice. Not what I meant, though, Lyds. But close."

Lydia's eyes widened as she realized what he meant. Touching with her hands was fine, whatever. But her mouth? On _that_? _His_ that!?

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "But that's been places!"

Betel's hand tightened in her hair, "Lydia." he groaned her name out as Lydia's hand that was still around him tightened slightly. "I hope you can understand that I really don't have the patience to try and explain what an idiot you're sounding like right now."

Lydia narrowed her eyes up at him. Suddenly all thoughts about sleeping with him for her own evil little plans came back and she remembered why exactly she was doing this. And she remembered her parents and the Maitlands and the fact that he had waltzed into her house and forced him to marry her and acted like she should be eternally gratfeul for the prize husband she just got.

_You fucking bastard._

Lydia was aware that more than likely he thought she was childish for not jumping up and down at the thought of sucking his cock despite the fact that he had just done a _very_ good job pleasing her... _Despite_ all that, it was just kind of gross and dammit it didn't matter what her reasons were. Being called an idiot wasn't nice!

"Do you think it's wise to start calling me names and treating me like your subordinate when I have a hold of you like this?" She asked, her voice low and dangerous. Lydia moved her hand up the length of him and watched his arms that held him up tremble. She was smirking despite how harshly he glared at her.

"Dammit Lyds." Betel growled, dipping his head to get a taste of her creamy neck once more. "You selfish tease."

Maybe another day she might have thought his words were light and meaningless but she could feel the anger behind them that night and it terrified her. That fear flooded into her stomach and made her abdomen feeling warm, intensifying all the feelings he was creating in her.

Moaning, she wrapped her legs around his waist as she continued to stroke him with her hand.

"Why don't you just fucking... _fuck_ me?!" She whispered urgently, knowing how ridiculous and very un-wiley it sounded.

Anger was not the feeling she expected next, ecstasy was what she was expecting. Mind blowing, back-arching, I'm-making-obnoxious-noises ecstasy. Maybe better than what he had just given her too. But no, instead of doing what they both wanted Betel had to start _laughing at her._

"Because I know what you're up to." He said, nipping her ear lobe. Lydia froze, happy toe curling feelings gone. "When did you become such a whore?"

At that Lydia pulled back with a stung look on her face. Betel's face was hardly visible in the dark but she could see that crazy smirk was back again in the moonlight and while she would prefer to get out of that bed and just run away from it all, her body had a different agenda.

The slap across his face was loud and stung her hand but it wasn't satisfying enough. She was just pulling her hand back for another blow when Betel grabbed her wrist to stop her and delivered a blow of his own.

Lydia squeezed her eyes up against the pain and brought a hand to her throbbing cheek in shock. Turning back, her eyes widened at him.

Emotionally he was a bastard to her any chance he got. Every time she was hurt on his watch physically, however, had been an accident. This was the first time he'd ever hit her and Lydia's hands began to shake.

This time, though, she did not know if she shook from rage or from fear.

"You slapped me." Lydia's voice trembled.

"_After_ you slapped me, though that wasn't the first time you had slapped me around but you know damn well I had never raised a hand - "

"Liar!" Lydia interrupted him, aware she probably had a crazed look on her face but she didn't care. "After _you_ forced me to marry you you tried to back hand me 'cause I kneed you in the privates! Like that would do any damage you - "

"Exactly, you kneed me in the privates Lyds!"

"You were going to rape me!" Lydia screamed at him and her words made Betel frown, though the moonlight made the harsh look seem softer than it really was.

"That aint true." He said softly, replaying those events in his head. That had been such a long time ago it seemed. That had been a Betel Geuse with powers, one who got his way even if it meant taking his disobedient new wife over her father's desk top.

"Don't even start that Betel. I know full well all the things you've done to me, they're etched precisely into my memory. You kidnapped my ghost parents. My real parents probably think I'm dead and I might as well be! And then you thought it would be fucking _hilarious_ to rape me, show me who's boss. Lucky for me you realized you lost your powers just in the knick of time!" Lydia's tears were flowing freely now and she accented her words by striking him across the chest. Hard.

Reflexively, Betel grabbed her arms and pinned him under her while straddling her so she wouldn't knee him either.

"I hate you." Lydia's voice was hardly working from all the emotions in her as she told him this as if it was some well kept secret.

"Cut it out Lyds." Betel begged, watching another tear roll down her cheek. "Do ya have t'cry every time I look at ya?"

"You should see how you look before judging me so harshly." Lydia bit out, choosing to look away from him now.

Nodding softly, Betel looked down at her with his frown back in place. He was very aware of the fact that they were both naked but for once it wasn't enough to distract him from the fact that he had done something very wrong to the woman beneath him.

Watching her breathe in shakily he suddenly wished things could have been different. It occurred to him that maybe if he gave her his powers like he wanted she would think of him differently. As the man he was today, not the poltergeist bent on hurting her.

He couldn't quite make sense of it, but he felt in him that if she got his powers and he got his back he would go back to being that man and any hope of Lydia thinking he was being selfless would vanish after that.

Holding both her small hands in his large one, Betel brought his hand down to Lydia's face but hesitated when she flinched. Gently he wiped her tears away with his thumb and felt the shame rise in him when she avoided looking at him. She thought he would finally take advantage of her.

She thought he hadn't changed.

Releasing her, Betel rolled over with his back to her hoping she would stay but not willing to call her back when he watched her walk out of the room with a thin blanket pulled around her body.

* * *

"You are going to be late! Do you want to die? _Again_!?"

Kise was worse than Betel's mother. Well, he may have been, he could not actually recall any memories of the lady but he figured Kise was doing a fairly good impression of somebody's crazy mother.

"I know, I know, I know. I just can't find my fucking - oh there." Betel grabbed his coat off the floor from under the table. Putting it on he avoided Kise's stern glare and ran out the door.

He couldn't be late for Sheldon. That would be insanity and Betel knew enough about that particular subject.

Kise watched Betel dash down the road with a melodramatic eye roll. His boss had been acting strangely all day, spacing off and losing things. Important things, like beer. He hadn't listened to a thing Kise said - well he was worse about it anyway. Which was definitely saying something.

The man was going to get them all killed. Well, he would get Lydia killed and him and Betel turned into torture victims for the next few centuries.

The image of that kid strapped to his chair looking for all like he was _made_ out of them wires coming out of him and sobbing uncontrollably wasn't leaving his brain anytime soon.

_Well,_ Kise thought with a smirk as he headed for the fridge. _The only cure is alcohol. I suppose I'll have to make the commitment to healing then._

* * *

Betel had been told to wait in Sheldon's office and he had been waiting for near an hour with only the sound of different pitches of wails to help him pass the time.

He was near to having a break down by the time Sheldon finally made his appearance, a bloody knuckled lady friend at his side.

Trying not to fidget with his hat he held in his lap, Betel smiled and leaned forward with his hand outstretched. "Good evening Sheldon, I can't say how flattered I am that you would invite me over for... a midnight snack?" He ended on a hopeful note.

Sheldon eyed the outstretched hand warily before nodding to his lady friend. She extended her arm, shook his hand firmly and left the room.

Betel sat back in his chair trying to stay calm under Sheldon's stare. It was Sheldon's turn to start talking now and Betel was not going to let himself start talking about random things that would somehow give any of his little secrets away.

"If you were so damned flattered you would have been here last night, Geuse." Sheldon had still not taken a seat, choosing to stand and look down on Betel. He didn't like feeling two inches tall. Even when he had been two inches tall in the Maitland's model thing he never really felt so ashamed. Not even when Barbara shook him and warned him to stay away from Lydia.

Well, Lydia maybe did have a little something to do with the shamed feeling in his gut.

_No maybe about it. I know what's on my mind and this meeting with Sheldon isn't helping the fact that I suddenly want to give my own self the look he's giving me._

_I deserve it._

"I promise I can explain - " Betel began, fighting back a nervous stammer.

Sheldon raised a hand to stop him. "No need. Your man, Kise or whatever, told me all about your honeymoon. Didn't think you were the type to get yourself hitched."

"Uh... I'm not really the type but she's, you know, out of this world or something." Betel muttered with a shrug.

At last Sheldon sat down. "That's interesting and all but I called you hear to discuss business." At these words, his lady friend re entered with a plate full of half baked cock roaches and a murky looking glass of beer.

These were his favorites, when he was a poltergeist. Humans, however, didn't eat this sort of stuff and he was starting to feel the same way.

"Discuss away." Betel bit out, knowing he couldn't refuse hospitality and accepted the treats.

"I'm not trying to poison you Betel." Sheldon said with a smirk. "Kinda pointless. Don'tcha think?"

"Right..." Betel picked up a slightly warm and lazy moving cockroach. Popping the crunchy insect into his mouth, he tried to recall the taste of Lydia to get through it.

"You are a hero. Widely loved in these parts nowadays." Sheldon told him and Betel could practically feel his head start to grow.

"Why for?"

"You freed them, ya dummy!" Sheldon slapped his hand down on the desk with wheezy laugh. "Did you forget already? The gangs are going to remember for a very long time who passed on the keys and who broke in in the first place. I told you you were a hero and I don't lie. About that."

Betel nodded slowly. "I never considered anything like this might happen." He admitted. "Figured they'd get out, cause a lot of headaches for Juno... and the rest of the Head of Carnage but they did a lot of this themselves."

"Maybe that's got some truth in it, but the fact of the matter is that I owe you one."

Betel looked at Sheldon in surprise having noticed that tone and the fact that Sheldon owed _him_ something.

"Oh?"

"Yes, and I don't like owing any_one_ any_thing_." Sheldon narrowed his eyes at Betel who took a big gulp of murky beer. It tasted like piss and Betel was hard pressed not to gag.

"I understand the position this puts you in." Betel said with a nod after clearing his throat, though he really wasn't sure what position that was just as long as Sheldon didn't try to torture him with insane magic voodoo.

Sitting back, Sheldon seemed to think over his next few words carefully. "A week ago I sent a scouting party to the Woods. I know, crazy but that's something I can deal with... Turns out that's where most of the so called 'good guys' ran off to." Sheldon leaned forward and took a sip from his very clean glass with some very fine looking whiskey in it. Betel was having a hard time concentrating on the conversation at hand between starving for something not disgusting and starving for ways to deal with his guilt.

"There are towns that my people found out there, towns that are a part of Neitherworld yet still completely apart. I know, again, crazy. My point is, the Carnage members and Policy Guards don't know about them and my men tell me they are nice and full of plenty of easily scammed wacky fun people." Sheldon continued and Betel nodded, wanting to get to the point and quickly.

"Is that so?"

"It is. Betel, because I owe you my freedom I want to give you an extended honeymoon to a nice place, not this dreary cloudy world of ours." Sheldon explained. "When I first came here and before I was locked away Neitherworld was green and alive which you probably remember. But we made it cold and dead to better suit us... They tell me once you go far enough into the Woods, the life comes back."

Betel stared across the desk at Sheldon, not quite sure what he was hearing or what most of it meant. A honeymoon with his wife. Sheldon was trying to get rid of him by sending him to some town in the Woods that probably didn't even exist.

"That means so much to me." Betel said slowly, weighing his words carefully. There was no way he was going to the Woods. That's where people went to forget themselves.

"No need, it's just business."

Nodding, Betel finished the rest of his beer in one gulp and sat there with Sheldon for some more idle chit chat until he was excused.

_This is very bad._

* * *

Lydia wrinkled her nose when she walked into the kitchen and the strong smell of alcohol hit her. Kise was sitting in the same seat as the night before. Since he had stolen all that beer he had remained in the same annoying drunken state. Luckily, he was unable to make his feet cooperate so if you got sick of him you only needed to leave the kitchen.

But Lydia was hungry.

"Drink enough yet, Kise?" She asked, hoping he ignored her even as the words left her mouth. Making her way to the fridge, Lydia looked around the shelves for something to eat. Betel had told her to write up a list and made Kise get every single item after his little stunt with the diet meals.

"Not nuff ta be seduced by the likes o' you." Kise slurred and Lydia rolled her eyes. Why did she insist on talking to the man, especially when he got like this?

"Ya know, boss likes you." Kise continued, not getting the hint that she was not seriously interested in a conversation.

"He likes to look at me." Lydia corrected him as she watched her food warm up in the microwave.

"Same thing." Kise waved his hand carelessly, the small movement making him sway dangerously in his char.

Mentally urging her food to cook faster, Lydia decided the safest thing was to ignore him. At last that wonderful ding sounded and her food was done... but too hot to grab.

Lydia looked around for the dish towels since she had successfully ruin the oven mits the day before while making omelets. No one ever did dishes around there so she had no idea where to start looking.

"He jus' likes lookin' at purdy things." Kise continued.

_Pass out Kise, just go ahead and pass out now._

"Are you calling me pretty, Kise?" Lydia asked with a smirk.

"Not you, dumbo!" Kise shouted and acted like he was going to stand up but thought better of it at the last minute and sat back in his chair. "He likes starin' at women sure whatever, but he also likes em statues on the thing out there in the livin' room or whatever the thing is like I don't know."

Lydia turned around, not really sure she was following him and figured it might help to make eye contact. "O... kay..." _Is Kise in love with Betel or something? I mean I'm technically his wife and have been trying to seduce him but I was not aware of statue things on a living room thingy... Drunk Kise gives me a headache. _

"Stones in the garden, boxes for prisoners, moon from the garden..." Kise continued, a happy little smile on his face as he recounted all the things his boss enjoyed staring at.

_That settles it, Kise is in love with - wait what?_

"Kise, did you say 'boxes for prisoners'?" Lydia asked very slowly, articulating her words clearly.

"Likes them for their green... dammit what are they fucking called?" Kise asked suddenly, slamming his hand down on the table in frustration. "Why can I never 'member what they're - Nox Boxes! That's it... yeah. Hmmm. Slamming the table makes the room stop spinning for a second. Mus' be a button 'round here..." Kise was beginning to grumble his words and was soon slamming his hand down on the table repeatedly.

Pausing, he looked up at Lydia who was standing there looking a little frozen. Smiling as he realized what he had told her, he brought a finger to his lips and made a shushing sound. "Don't ya tell 'im I said that now _orrrr_ I'd be in trouble!"

"Yeah..." Lydia thought, suddenly losing her appetite. She was remembering looking a tiny green boxes curiously and how angry Betel had gotten when he saw what she was doing. They had been with her the entire time... "Wouldn't want anyone in trouble."


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

The night before, Vincent threw Jack into the cell he shared with four other prisoners but no one offered comfort or made any sign that they noticed Jack had even come back. The only movement Jack made once thrown onto the floor of his cell was to curl himself into a ball. Concentrating on the face of the scarred man who had helped to put an end to his punishments for the day, he tried to remember what Patch had called him.

_Benjamin Kise._

Sheldon had been expecting some guy with a weird name. Beetlejuice. The name brought memories of when he suggested that would be a nice thing for Lydia to call one of her photos and she had freaked out. He tried to focus on what had happened afterward, how they had teased and kissed, but instead all he could see when he closed his eyes was blood on his hands. The little boy's face frozen in terror felt familiar but he knew he was not responsible.

"Wasn't me. Wasn't me." He whispered and kept on whispering as if to convince his innocence to who ever was listening.

* * *

Betel Geuse walked home feeling the tiniest bit better. These gang members had him to look up to, he was responsible for their freedom... well that did not make him feel better with the fact that there were ruthless gang members about but he felt a little better knowing they wouldn't be too quick to jump him.

Still, he kept his pace quick and relaxed a little only when he saw the dead trees of Juno's garden.

_How the hell am I supposed to get out of this trip? Especially when it's a gift from Sheldon?_

Betel kicked at a shiny black stone and frowned.

_I suppose we could just go back to the mortal world. After all, that's why I got married, so I can go from one place to another... we would have to lock up this place so no one could get in and destroy all my handy work though. Kise could get on top of that easily enough..._

_What if Lydia goes wacky again?_

Betel opened the front door and his announcement that he was home was interrupted by a large vase crashing against the wall just inches from his head. Betel flailed and shouted in surprise.

"Where did you put them, you _monster_!?" Lydia screamed at him, it was the kind of scream he was famous for. One full of rage and impatience and the urge to kill something.

"Oh shit." Betel muttered. _Too late._

* * *

"Where are the Deetzes, Patch?" Sheldon asked, not looking too impressed at the moment.

Patch tried not to gulp under the stare and instead straightened his tie. "They're secure in the observation room like you asked."

Sheldon nodded. "What is their state."

This time Patch did gulp, knowing his answer would not be the right one. "Unconscious."

Sheldon slammed his fist onto his desk making Patch and Vincent flinch and the wood crack. Sally, however, remained motionless at his side. "Son of a bitch! I _told_ you I wanted them awake. Screaming and kicking!"

"I know sir but - "

"Then why aren't they?"

"Because they were already acting crazy before we brought them through the door, I thought they might start hurting themselves if we didn't do something." Patch explained quickly.

Drumming his finger tips on his desk, Sheldon stared at Patch. Patch was beginning to think he was not going to get out of this.

"Why couldn't you just tie them up?" Sheldon's voice was unnervingly calm at this point and Patch decided not to admit he had done that but still knocked them out anyway. That would just be asking for trouble.

"I-I don't know." He admitted, sensing a demotion on its way.

"You've become very unreliable, Patch. Sure I appreciate you finding out about Betel Geuse's wife and family and little Jackie Boy - and I sure as Hell know you were the one who rallied the gangs together to come free me but this is unacceptable." Sheldon leaned back in his chair and rubbed his exposed brain. Patch had to suppress a gag at the sound it made.

"I understand." It was true, he understood and could comprehend that he had fucked up. He had gotten lazy, prison life making him forget what is was like to serve Sheldon. If he didn't work harder he would end up like Jack, and he would have only himself to blame. This he knew to be true.

"I'll give you another chance, because you've been so good for me." Sheldon admitted grudgingly after careful consideration. "Make sure Betel and his wife go on that trip to the woods. I think Geuse suspects foul play, he was always a paranoid son of a bitch. Then make sure we get Kise on our side. He was twitchy and a real bad conversationalist but he's gotta have some brains for Betel to keep him around."

"Yes sir."

"Alright, go on and tell me when the Deetzes wake up."

Patch nodded and took his leave. Walking downstairs, he passed the cells of prisoners along the winding path as he went farther underground. The cells had ended and he was walking through steel halls that had been built when this was Sheldon's hide out all those centuries ago. Felt like home, really.

Through a thick glass, Patch viewed the Deetzes still unconscious and tied to their chairs. They sure gave him the creeps, which was the reason he had tied them up and knocked them out in the first place. Dammit, he hated the living. Did when he was alive as well, at least he thought he did as he was pretty certain that's why he was punished in Neitherworld for living his Life out as a serial killer.

The scar around his neck hidden under his high collar was proof he had been hanged and he suspected it was a death sentence, but like everyone else in the Neitherworld, Life became a forgotten dream as the Afterlife became reality.

Patch, named for the way he tortured and killed in Life, had sent someone in to make sure they were still alive and they definitely were. So he supposed that all there was to do was wait for them to wake up. As long as they did wake up, and soon, he should be alright.

_On the other hand,_ Patch thought, _They sure won't be._

* * *

"Where _are_ they?" Lydia screamed again before hurling another fancy looking vase. Betel ducked out of the way in time and scrambled to the other side of the room.

"I don't know what you're talking about doll face." It was a lie, he had a vague idea of what she might be talking about but jumping to conclusions never helped anything.

"That's right! Play the fucking idiot!" When she threw another vase at the wall Betel used to be standing by he realized she was mostly just feeling the urge to break things but probably wouldn't mind if she hurt him in the process. Lydia turned and walked towards him, her hands going to her hair as she stressed out. "I know you have Adam and Barbara in one of your fucking Nox Boxes, so where. Did. You. _Put_. Them?"

Her voice was low and dangerous and for a second Betel let himself get scared but he reminded himself that she was just a little mortal. A little mortal who was acting a lot like he used to with her fits and destroying things and pulling her hair... That was making him feel a little uneasy.

"I can show you them but you can't let them out."

"Oh watch me." Lydia crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly.

Betel shook his head and almost laughed, "No seriously, you can't let them out. Only the person who trapped them can do it. That would be me and Kise." _Why did I tell her that?_ Frowning, Betel wanted to tell her to fucking forget it and push her away, but just thinking about doing that to her felt wrong.

Arms dropping to her side, Lydia narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh... Whatever just go get them. I'll wait here." Then she sat down looking all like snotty royalty with her nose stuck in the air and didn't even glance at Betel as he left.

A small thought at the back of his mind was questioning why he was doing this. A week ago he would have told her to fuck off and go cool off her twat, but that didn't sound appealing to say anymore. That would just make matters worse.

They were still in his coat pocket and they looked pathetic. Reminding himself what they had done to him, he tried to swallow the guilty feeling down despite how deep down he knew he probably deserved everything that had happened to him.

When he put them in Lydia's outstretched hands she brought them up to her face closely. "I can't see them." She said wondering if the glass was supposed to be opaque like that.

"Probably 'cause you're still a mortal." Betel said simply, in honesty not sure if that was the real reason or not. Sounded likely enough.

"Whatever." Setting them gently onto the coffee table in front of her, Lydia sat forward and glared at him. Her hair was going everywhere and she had bags under her eyes. There was a deathly look to her skin that hadn't been there before. Sure she always looked a bit light skinned and all but now she looked like someone had left her outside in the snow and all the heat had finally left her. His stomach clenched when he noticed the bruise on her cheek from where he hit her. "Let them go."

Her tone was actually amusing him a little, the way she thought she could get him to do something just because she said so. She was acting like the world's most spoiled brat.

"No."

They looked at each other silently, neither one flinching. "Oh I get it." Lydia said at last. "You can't let them go until you have your powers."

"Not true, I can let them go whenever I damn well please."

"Yeah but if you let them go without your powers that's just asking to get thrown into jail or prison or your own damn Nox Box." Lydia leaned back and rested her arms on the back of the couch, making her look like she was in control and welcomed any petty response Betel might have for her.

Betel chose not to respond, well aware that she was trying to bait him. She was just looking for a fight. Maybe she was in control then. That was what she wanted all along and maybe he should give her the satisfaction of another fight after all the satisfaction he had gotten from her. Betel just didn't have it in him to humor her.

"_But_ in order to get your powers back you would have to share them with me. God, I bet it's just _killing_ you!" Lydia laughed and Betel cringed at how artificial it sounded. It would be better for her to scream at him because he knew how real her rage was behind them.

The look she was giving him made him feel like he was being hunted and he really didn't need that right now. Games were overrated and he was done playing them. Lydia could take her toys and go fuck with Kise. He'd be willing to shout with her.

"Guess what." He said suddenly, breaking the silence and hopefully changing the subject.

"You've decided to give in?" Lydia asked, her eyebrows raised.

Betel laughed, amused at how hard she was trying. "No, we're moving again. You need to go pack your things."

Tilting her head at him was the only sign she gave that she heard him, other wise she remained where she was and looked for all the world like she was thinking it over. "But I like it here."

"You're just saying that because you don't know where we're going."

"Then tell me where we're go-"

"Crazy!" Betel shouted, cutting her off. Satisfied with the shocked look on her face he turned and walked out of the room. "Now pack your shit!" He said over his shoulder.

Maybe he could still shout at her, but that was just him being his funny ole self. Not the messed up attention Lydia was looking for, whatever her problem was.

Lydia sat on the sofa gaping after him idiotically for several minutes. She had been certain he would rise to the bait more than that and the fact that he was suddenly so calm irritated her more than anything. In fact it made her extremely angry and that anger was boiling up inside her. It flushed away her acquired calmness and fueled her into storming up the stairs and slamming the door of Betel's room open.

Betel jumped up from where he was lounging on his bed, not even packing. _The fucking bastard._

Without pausing, Lydia went over to him and pushed him hard in the chest, sending his surprised self into the wall. Regaining his footing, Betel grabbed her wrists and pushed her down onto the mattress and pinned her beneath him.

"Yesterday you're trying to jump on my cock and today you're slapping me around. Sheesh, you're crazy Lyds." Betel said, shaking his head. Before he could tell himself to stay calm he blurted out, "It's no wonder Little Jackie left the way he did."

On some level Lydia was aware of how ridiculous she was acting but she was way too angry to even give a damn and Betel's latest little remark was just fueling that anger.

"You bastard!" She shouted, kicking in hopes of squirming out of his grasp. "I know he left because you possessed him and _used_ me for your own twisted pleasures!"

"Yeah just like you were trying to use me last night baby doll." Betel laughed despite how badly he wanted to get up and walk away and stop tormenting the woman beneath him. "Guess you just couldn't resist." Sending her an eyebrow wiggle, he moved her arms above her head and pressed down harder to restrain her as much as he could. Something in her wanted to fight him and he really didn't want to put up with bruises right now.

"Fuck you." Her voice was low as she tried to use her little bit of strength to get out from under neath him.

"Only if you ask nicely." Betel told her. In just a few seconds Lydia had managed to break the calmness in him and before he realized what a bad idea it was he leaned down and kissed her. Kissed her like a lover instead of the crazy lady he forced to marry him for booty call that had gone totally wrong.

The kiss had been like dumping water on a fire and for a second it had worked to cool Lydia down. After a moment, though, she got over the shock of Betel leaning down to kiss her so nicely and was just trying to decide how exactly to react but Betel never let her. He let go of her and left the room just as quickly as he had leaned down to kiss her.

Thoughts were racing around Lydia's head a hundred miles a second and she really didn't know what to do now.

* * *

Betel licked his lips and noticed Lydia hadn't bothered to brush her teeth, but then neither did he so they sort of canceled each others bad breath out. Whatever, it didn't matter. He was just too busy smirking to himself that it was finally his turn to make Lydia go speechless and he got a kiss out of it.

Since his room had been taken over by a lady with issues, Betel decided it was time to head towards the kitchen for a beer after the night he had and on the way thought to himself that Lydia should probably have her own handbook.

_Tip of the day, if Lyds goes crazy, just tackle and kiss. Should put an end to shouting and broken vases. Undetermined how long this effect lasts. May depend on the passion level of the kiss and how crazy Lyds is... Haha I wonder if she'd laugh if I wrote that down. I'll call it Handbook for the Recently... um... Lydia-Ladden. Hahaha._

Cracking open his beer, Betel took a seat at the table and jumped back with a shout of surprise when his feet touched something squishy.

Looking under the table cautiously, he narrowed his eyes when he saw it was only Kise. He was passed out and Betel realized they wouldn't be able to go back to Lydia's place that night.

_Well that's just great. Way to fuck up my mood Kise._

* * *

Lydia had packed her shit before Betel decided to let her know they wouldn't be moving as soon as he thought. When she threw her shoe at him he just wiggled his eyebrows at her and threatened to kiss her again. Thankfully he was too tipsy to notice how still that threat made her and he left shortly after.

Running a hand through her hair, Lydia noticed how greasy it was and was ashamed at how lazy she had become with her hygiene. It puzzled her as well, she never forgot to shower or brush her teeth as being clean always felt better than the opposite but for the past few days she hadn't even bothered.

Unpacking her smell goods, Lydia locked herself into the bathroom until she was satisfied with her cleanliness and didn't come out a moment sooner. When she did, however, she realized it was very very late and she should sleep. Maybe she would try to wake up early the next day instead of staying in bed until the clock on the wall said five. Maybe... but sleep sounded very good at the moment.

Her dreams were full of two annoying men, one with a crazy smile and a dumb one with scars all over his face.

* * *

A shadow loomed over him, sinister and telling. Too soon. Go away.

"Time again." Chad said. He was the only one who talked in their cell, maybe he was the only one who could still remember how to other than Jack.

Turning over, Jack expected to see Vincent but was surprised and a little uneasy when he saw Sally instead.

How long had they waited? A few hours? Maybe only a couple of minutes. His appointments with Sheldon always came too soon.

They discovered more atrocities hidden away in Jack's memories. More crimes committed and as the days went by Jack began to feel hatred as he watched his hands clench around his mother's neck. He hated her for not being more strict with him. He blamed her for all the people he hurt as he watched his hands inflict pain. It was her fault for not raising him right.

Jack felt the betrayal as he pounded into Lydia and she screamed underneath him. Screamed at her for using him and finally felt powerful as he watched her on the screen.

When he lay trembling in his cell at night, he mostly hated himself. For the monster he had been. For trying to convince himself that he was innocent.

_The evidence is right there. It's always been there._ Those had been Sheldon's words last night and Jack knew them to be true. There were no lies from Sheldon. He was God and he was Satan. He was the tempter and punisher.

"What're you doin' here?" Jack rasped as he stood up. His throat was sore from all the abuse it had suffered over the last couple of days. Although Jack had no handle on time anymore, Chad said they came every four hours. Four hours pass and then it's time for Jackie's therapy. He was the special case and would be until Little Jackie broke from their toys. "Kinda brave, sendin' a pretty thing like you down here amongst monsters."

Sally merely stared at him and if she hadn't been twirling the key to his cell between her fingers he might have passed her for a brainless, lifeless doll.

Especially when her eyes were so wide like that and the color in them shined like glass.

"Don't talk much?" Jack asked, hands gripping the bars and leaning forward. She was at a safe distance from him but Jack knew she could inflict pain on him if she wanted.

Tilting her head, Sally smiled at him. It was a smile that belonged on a little kid with a secret. Like that girl he had kicked so hard in the head she nearly died. He had seen it on the screen and felt the anger. She had told the police he killed her cat. Narks were the lowest filth in his book and so he pushed her down and kicked her head like he was trying to make a field goal.

Crack. Score.

Then Sally opened her mouth and in the darkness Jack saw someone had cut out her tongue. "Where'd that thing run off to?" Jack asked, his nose crinkling until she closed her mouth so he didn't have to look it any longer.

Looking up at the ceiling momentarily was the only answer she gave him, or had a chance to at least because then Vincent came down the stairs.

"Get away from the door, Harper." Vincent shouted. The man loved to be bossy.

Familiar with the process, Jack walked to the wall with his hands behind his head. "I appreciate you bringing me a pretty escort this time."

When Jack spoke, Vincent narrowed his eyes and looked at Sally harshly. Her smile had gone and she was focused on the key she kept twirling with her fingers.

Sheldon was waiting for him.

They strapped him in but there were no wires this time. Jack wondered if it was finally time to move on. It had been established what a monster he was.

"It has been decided," Sheldon began from where stood across the room, "that you do not deserve the gifts usually bestowed to the dead."

Sheldon took a few steps closer and with Vincent on his left and Sally on his right, he was feeling extremely crowded. It bothered him that they were so close. Made him wonder if they could feel the poison in him, the poisonous hatred that flowed through his veins and made his hands itch for someone's throat.

There was a syringe held in Sheldon's hand and Jack wondered what was in store for him. He wondered if it would make this disease in him fade away.

"This is our favorite tool for punishing the bastards as sick and twisted as yourself." Sheldon handed it to Vincent who injected it without warning or care into Jack's neck. "As it courses through your veins it strips you of everything that makes you distinct as an immortal. Your ability to heal faster or at all, your ability to block out all of your pain. Your ability to learn any powers. It would be what happened should a marriage occur between the living and the dead, only if that should happen all of your abilities have the opportunity to come back. However, you will never have them again."

"So I'm a immortal who is gonna be livin' their Afterlife like a mortal? Sounds horrible." Jack bit out, beginning to sweat at the incredible sense of heat coursing through him. Rubbing against the chair, he wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off. He needed to scratch his skin as it felt dry and confining.

"It's merely step one, Jack. I don't think you will like the next one."

Jack had shut his eyes and kept them shut even as Sheldon's words registered. The space around him suddenly felt clearer and that was when he opened his eyes, to see where the goons had gone.

Vincent and Sally each stood a few paces away from him and their knives shined from the single light bulb hanging over Jack. They would torture him, he could live with that. Pain might kill the monster. Might beat it down and turn the anger into a detached cold nothingness. The inevitable pain might be his saving grace.

* * *

During her long, empty days of being locked up in Juno's home, Lydia found the place extremely boring. At least the weird place they had stayed in before had little secret rooms. This place had none. It was large but it was bare and plain, as if Juno had not done any living in it at all.

Perhaps she simply had it so she had a place she could say was her home. So she could feel more alive as she worked for an eternity.

Their plans for moving had apparently been put on hiatus as Kise and Betel Geuse spent their nights getting drunk. It was their annoying new ritual and Lydia was afraid she might go insane. If she wasn't already. Crazy from having far too many emotions coursing through her. Anger, sadness, regret, loneliness, fear.

She heard Betel laugh from the kitchen as she stood on the stairway gazing off into space. The sound irritated her, how he continued getting drunk and laughing stupidly. She remembered waking up and hearing his laughter when he forgot about the other people in the house. It had not been a crazy, shrill laugh. That laugh had charmed her for a split second.

That was the only amount of time he was allowed to charm anyone at one time. Any longer the world might explode.

Lydia wondered if he had been stealing her happiness and warmth even then, if that was when it had started. Not that she had ever been overly happy, but she had been better than this.

Walking down the stairs, Lydia walked to where the Nox Boxes were perched on the dresser amongst the little statues she thought might have been what Kise was talking about. She knew that even if Betel did take her back home she would still be a prisoner. Even if she got his powers would she even want to go on living? After seeing the monsters that lurked in the night.

But if this was what was in store for her in death, she definitely didn't want to die either. She wished she could simply dream forever. Close her eyes and live a world between sleep and awake, where anything was possible and everything was real.

Her hands snapped to her side when she heard someone stomp out of the kitchen. Looking over her shoulder, she saw it was Betel Geuse and noticed he was not as drunk as he had been the night before but was definitely a little tipsy at least.

Remembering how he had pinned her down and kissed her during their last confrontation, Lydia left the room quickly not about to trust a slightly tipsy Betel Geuse from being any better.

Betel watched her go with a frown that hurt his face that just wanted to keep on laughing.

"Whatever." Betel muttered, feeling sour. Turning back to Kise he gave a large shrug. "It's not like I really care."

"Yeah!" Kise said and saluted him with a beer though he had no idea Betel was talking about now.

* * *

Jack paced in his cell, ignoring the pain from his wounds. This pain was good, never let him forget the monster he was. The gash in his chest had been gouged even deeper and his ribcage stuck out for the world to see. See his bones, his blood, his guts. Never see his soul. Never know his rage.

It occurred to Jack that he had the opportunity now through his punishments to look like the monster he was. They unknowingly etch rage into his flesh, the pain white hot. White as bones. Bones that crunch and crack and make the most satisfying noises under rocks.

They told him acid was the next tool. Acid and knives was what he had to look forward to. Punishment for someone who burned like a disease. Got under the skin of his prey and mutilated until they were unrecognizable. Lydia never had a chance.

Not with him. Not with anyone.

* * *

Betel's head was killing him and Kise was blaring the television full blast like all was dandy in the world. When Kise did not respond to Betel's glare by turning the television off, he did it himself.

"Hey! I was watching that, Geuse." Kise protested, sounded way too whiny for be Betel Geuse's drinking buddy.

"Whatever, look. We gotta talk about moving back to the mortal world." Betel said sternly, turning towards Kise.

"Why?"

"Because of Sheldon and his evil plans, don't you remember?" Betel asked and after a moment Kise finally nodded. Trying not to get angry, Betel went on. "I don't wanna leave too soon because Lydia's been decent I guess but I'm not sure I want her to get all crazy like last time. Something bad could happen." _To her._

Kise narrowed his eyes at Betel. He understood that the girl _was_ potential booty call if you subtracted her eagerness to kick and punch and be a brat, but this was a little ridiculous. "And we care why?"

"I just don't want to have to put up with that again so soon is all." Betel muttered.

"So we're not moving?"

"Maybe not for a week or so, unless Sheldon drops by and gets pissy." Betel said thoughtfully, wondering if he could possibly know where they were living. As far as he knew he had not been followed that one night he left the house but he couldn't speak for Kise.

"We're leaving in a week or so." Kise repeated dumbly and when Betel nodded, he made an irritated sound. "then why'd we have to talk about it now and interrupt my shows?"

As Kise became tuned back to the tube, Betel realized how boring the guy was when the conversation didn't have any alcohol to numb his brain.

"Want a beer?" Betel asked, seizing the moment to leave and did so before Kise even bothered to answer. His head still hurt something horrible and really alcohol could only help him now.

As he passed the stairs, however, he noticed a shadow moving in the master bedroom and wondered what Lydia was up to. Figuring he wouldn't be missed downstairs, he changed course and ended up in Lydia's knocked on the door frame and wasn't sure what to do when she turned towards him with her eyes all wide like that.

"Uhm..." Betel looked for something to say, "Whatchya doin'?"

"Putting clothes away." She said slowly, her tone making him feel pretty dumb as that was obviously what she was doing. "I heard you telling Kise we might not be leaving for another week so I figured I would unpack everything again."

_Dammit, she heard that? Now I don't have an excuse for a one on one conversation with her. Why did I waste that on Kise? Just because I was bored and... headachey. Dammit._

"Oh." Betel said and nodded but that made his head hurt worse. Walking further into her room, he tried to think of something to say that would make the awkward silence not awkward.

All he could think of was either to complain about his aches and pains or inform her how much he liked her in a tank top and sweats and her hair up in a pony tail. It reminded him of their first night together which was not something he really wanted to remind her of unless she was going to just focus on the fact that those were his skills not Jack's skills. It also showed off her shoulders and he gazed at them as she reached up for a hook.

Her hands were shaking and he realized she was nervous or scared. Maybe weak. Maybe on a sugar high, he had no idea why her hands were shaking to be honest so he was having to guess. Meanwhile the silence was stretching as he kept thinking all his crazy thoughts.

Betel couldn't understand what was so wrong with him. Normally he was talkative and could make her laugh and shout at him and even have a sort of conversation before she tried to get into his pants or he saw her naked and started to make out with her and feel how soft her skin was and... what was he thinking about? Oh right.

He was being weird.

_What does normal me do?_

Feeling like the freak Lydia saw himself as, Betel tried to fix that and threw himself onto her bed before he grinned up at her. Well, would have but her back was still to him and when she turned around it was because her suitcase fell off the bed from him being so crazy.

"Betel Geuse." Lydia said exasperatedly before bending over to pick her things back up.

"Woops." Betel said and almost offered to help her but stopped himself. Why should he help her? He didn't want in her pants anymore. She was his psycho wife, not to be trusted alone with men. Why was he even there?

Settling himself back against her pillows, Betel watched her lift the suitcase off the floor and noticed how delicate her arms looked then.

"If you're not doing anything you could help me." Lydia told him, throwing one of her rare pair of jeans at him. Catching the garment, Betel smirked and stood up.

"I wouldn't know what to do." He said, holding the jeans out in front of him and inspecting them. "Mine usually go on the floor. Sometimes I have a specific clean pile, but most of the time it's just random. That's just my genius showing, though." Betel reassured her but she did not respond.

Honestly, Lydia had been hoping her asking him to help would scare him away. Him walking closer to her and trying to act like they were friends after all the things they had done to each other was pretty much the opposite of what she had wanted.

Throwing the jeans onto her bed, Betel looked through her suitcase. He wasn't really helping or messing things up, just being nosy despite being the one who packed all the shit in the first place.

It occurred to him that this was getting boring and he could just leave but all that was waiting for him was Kise and beer. Well the beer sounded nice but he had already gotten drunk with Kise a few times and he was probably one of the most annoying drinking buddies ever with his constant bragging and whatnot about how many cans of beer he can make fit into a tiny bag.

"What do you want Betel?" Lydia asked finally as Betel just stood there. He realized he had been caught staring and tried to fight back the smirk at her question. True, he had been the one to take her by her shoulders and claim their relationship should stay a strictly business one, but when she gave him openings like that she had to know what she was getting into.

Taking a seat, Betel put a hand on her lower back as she passed and let it drop back down to his side without lingering when she went back to her closet quickly. Pretty soon she would be all out of clothes and then what would she do?

"I want to talk to you." Betel said, wondering why he missed their screaming matches. It just wasn't right to go so many days without her seeking him out. He had gotten used to her trying to trick him into sexing her up that when suddenly her presence was gone he was angry. He fought the anger, however, as it hurt his head when he had been drinking the night before.

"About what?" Lydia asked, hanging her last dress up slowly.

When she turned to him at last, Betel shrugged. "Nothin'."

He didn't have anything else that would make her angry at him. There was nothing else to make her want to trick him and stalk him and get close to him. She had found all his secrets - well she had found the ones concerning her.

Lydia sighed and he noticed she sounded kind of annoyed but she didn't say anything. That wasn't right. She was supposed to tell him how annoying he was and then he would snap at her to shut her fucking mouth and then she would say something bratty and he would do something mean...

Deciding to test a theory, Betel stood up and attempted to look casual as he put his hands into the pockets of his jacket and walked towards her lazily. "Listen Lyds, I've been getting this feeling that you've been avoiding me." She took a step back as he walked towards he and noticed with a smirk that she was going to corner herself if she kept it up.

"I'm not feeling very social." Lydia replied dryly. That almost made him laugh, how she looked at him defiantly even as she backed away from him. Like he was going to suddenly have a change of heart and decide he should rape her anyway. Take her kicking and screaming just so he could commit suicide. Sometimes she was so stupid about the way he worked.

Not that he minded her being a little afraid of him. Only a few days ago she had been feeling more powerful than him and he wondered if she had realized she was still just a mortal and she could fight him for an eternity but he would never disappear. She would grow old and he would never be anywhere but with her, always the same Betel Geuse. It was part of their vows. An eternity together.

"I was gonna tell you to come have a drink with me and Kise the other day, but you ran away as soon as you looked at me." Betel had his arm above her head against the wall and she was already looking a bit nervous when she realized she had cornered herself. "You aren't afraid of me again, are you?"

Instead of answering, Lydia ducked under his arm and stepped around him quickly. He had not been expecting her to do that and realized he still didn't exactly know how she worked yet either.

"No," she said but he didn't believe her. Lydia picked her suitcase off the bed and Betel wasn't sure what she was going to do with that but he was suddenly angry at her not paying attention to him. He had come in here for her company and she was not going to give it to him fully.

Before he could tell himself to stay calm or tell himself he wouldn't like what he did when it was all over just like every other single time he got angry, Betel stomped towards her and shoved her suitcase out of her hands. It was petty but it was a mean enough to get her to glare at him.

"Shit head." Oooh and to call him a name. Well then Betel was on a roll. He could make her pay attention to him if he had to.

Lydia did not bend over to pick it back up but instead glared up at him. Maybe she wanted to fight him, maybe she was tired of fighting him. He didn't know if all she did was stare.

She drove him crazy. "Better stop flirting with me Lyds, before I start acting like you and smack you around again. You like that kinda foreplay, right?"

For a moment it looked like she would say something or strike out at him. That was what he called her evil look and for a moment it excited Betel knowing she suddenly had some sort of evil idea. Soon she would be all claws and coming at him and he would get his hands on that smooth body.

Instead of coming towards him, however, she turned and fled the room.

Anger was rising again and Betel followed her. He watched her run down the stairs and followed her slowly knowing full well she could not run away. She stopped in front of the decorative dresser, the one with the Nox Boxes and the little statue things she was sure Kise had been talking about that night he revealed one of Betel's secrets to her.

Lydia said nothing as she picked up a beautifully crafted Koala bear, there were probably ten of them on the dresser. They must have been Juno's favorite. She wondered if this would even bother him.

She threw it and it hit the wall above the television with a satisfying crash. Glancing at Betel, she noticed he was still walking towards her but he had that angry look on his face. The one that really did scare her.

Didn't matter, she picked up another one and threw it, this time it flew past Betel's ear. That one crashed as well and Lydia scrambled away as Betel came towards her. They did a sort of dance around the couch Kise was sitting on determinedly ignoring the whole thing until Lydia took a chance and ran for the stairs.

She made it halfway up when Betel caught her around the waist and dragged her back down. Kicking at him, she grunted in his grasp and succeeded in squirming away.

With one final kick to his knee, she ran away to the other side of the room as he now blocked the staircase.

"That wasn't very nice Lyds." Betel told her, watching to see what she did now.

"Gonna cry about it, _Beej_?" She asked and he loved how much of a smart ass she was in that moment. He had caught a glimpse of her darkness when she was little more than a kid but she had been too soft. Always wanting to die and crying like Life was so bad. Then she met Jack and got all _vulnerable_ and disgusting.

If he was the one responsible for that defiant look in her eyes he regretted nothing. As she stood before him with nothing to lose and baited him he wondered why it took her so long to get there. Why they had to go through all the sobbing.

It made him feel like the worlds biggest bastard but he loved feeling that way. Like he was new again, or maybe he was just who he used to be. Sometimes he didn't know who he would wake up as from one day to the next and he felt she was to blame.

She wasn't nearly angry enough, though. Sure he had done something bratty and then so had she. Tit for tat or however that dumb saying went. Betel wanted her to get that fury back in her eyes. That fury he thought only he was capable of. Then he could feel something else. As long as she held the fury for a little bit and let him see her while he felt no bitterness or anger.

Lydia was the most beautiful when he was able to feel regret.

Through their marriage and her passing through to the Neitherworld and going crazy and everything thing else that had gone wrong lately, a different type of animal had emerged in Betel Geuse. One that was confused. One that simply wanted to fuck Lydia and let the old Betel Geuse come back.

Until she was crying or until he hurt her. And then all he wanted to do was take everything back. Make sure she knew he never meant it, just another joke. Ha ha.

Betel didn't know what was for certain anymore except for one thing. Lydia was not angry enough. So Betel walked to the same dresser she had stomped to and closed his hands over all three of the Nox Boxes. Realizing a second too late what he was doing, Lydia shouted and ran for him.

Too late.

He threw them and watched their little bodies bounce around in their cages. They couldn't die and the boxes would never break so it was a ride from Hell and he was only able to laugh for hardly a second before he was tackled by Lydia.

She shoved at him and called him a bastard and Betel could feel his own irrational anger flow away. As he grabbed a hold of Lydia's wrists, he could feel the regret coming. Why had he done that? Hadn't he changed?

Not really, he was just more insane. More crazy. Less reasonable. There was no pattern to his madness and Lydia could never feel at ease.

Watching her as raw emotion formed on her face he could hardly hear her shouts as he pushed her against the wall. The regret was turning into something else as he held her body still with his own. Longing, need, desire.

They were never supposed to keep away from each other so long, the marriage between them had created animals who acted selfishly. When Betel lowered his mouth to hers there was no hesitation as she kissed back. Despite her hate for him that grew every time he did something bastardly, she needed him. She needed his warmth and she needed the animal in him. As her head became foggy with want she knew it was what she yearned for all along. The only way to become herself once again was to take back the piece of her he had stolen. Take take take, just like him.

"_No!_ Get away demon woman!"

The shout was from a distant land but the pair of hands pulling both Lydia and Betel apart were there and she realized Kise had been the one to shout. She realized this just as she realized the Maitlands and Juno lay in their Nox Boxes possibly hurt from what Betel Geuse had just done and all she could do was kiss him back. Kiss him like she might explode if she didn't.

Secretly she hoped they couldn't see or hear her. She hoped maybe they had been knocked out from that throw even if it was selfish of her. Just so they would not think any less of her.

"Betel Geuse, we talked about this!" Kise shouted looking incredibly stern for a sidekick.

Someone was keeping him from his mate. He was weak, could easily be removed. Not a threat, simply an annoyance.

"Remember the wiles we talked about!" Kise was shouting. He just knew Lydia would destroy him too and then she would take over the world and probably kill all the men because of her ability to hold petty grudges and there would be no more beer time!

Lydia was reaching for him as Kise pushed him away and it made Betel burn for her that much more to see how she needed him. The edge of his vision was getting clearer, the fog thinning but never settling as long as he looked at Lydia.

What had happened?

Betel looked away. The book had not mentioned something like that happening. Suddenly the anger was back and he thought he might lash out at Kise or Lydia from all the confusion fogging up his brain.

Instead he just left. Didn't tell Lydia to stay away and he didn't have to. She had felt the disgust, felt it in her even as her hands reached out for him all on their own.

* * *

Jack had thought he was done screaming. Screamed from the pain. Screamed to cover up the people screaming in his head as he brutally raped and murdered. Now he screamed out of anger. There was no one to hurt. They punished him when he tried to punish Chad for the anger in him and he had his own cell. One no bigger than a broom closet.

He clutched the bars of his cell, holding on to hold himself up. Laying down brought dreams. Sitting down brought memories. Pain. Anger. Cut them down.

He refused to look at his right arm. Through some sort of power even Sheldon's serum couldn't take away from him, Jack could move it but doing so caused him pain. So he clutched the bars with his right hand and listened as the bones of his fingers scraped the metal. The pain drowned out his anger and made him groan instead.

Skin and muscles and veins all gone. From the shoulder down they burned. Shined and polished, white like a ghost. They told him they would do it to the rest of his body. Slowly so he felt every last piece of skin and muscle burn away.

Sally came for him and he leered at her. One day they would take his face and he would always be grinning. Maybe she would like him then.

"If you let me out I'll cut you out a new tongue." Jack promised and saw her fumble with the key. Smirking, Jack found his bargaining chip. He knew it wasn't something that would work right away but time was all he had. They could punish and punish but they could not kill him. Not again.

They were stuck with him now. They're homegrown monster.

* * *

Darkness surrounded her. Had she even woken up? All she knew was fear and all she heard was panting. It was her. She tried to stay calm so the voices in the dark would not wake up as well.

The darkness was in her mind, the whispers lived there. Plotted behind veils of black.

"Charles." She whispered, it was the only word she knew how to say anymore. The only word that brought comfort but she could not remember what it meant.

"Mrs. Deetz." A slimy voice came from the dark, louder than other whispers. Slimier than the plotting ants that crawled and dug under her eyes.

She spoke to comfort but the slimy voice hissed to scare.

"Charles?" She tried again, the word was not working anymore.

"Yes I was hoping he would wake first, but you will have to do." Drip drop went the slime. Splish splash.

Hands grabbed and pulled. Her breathing was so loud, all the monsters in the dark were awake and they grabbed and pulled. Tried to tear her apart as they pulled her deeper into the darkness. They had no idea the darkness was already apart of her, but she was afraid. Fear was all she knew but she never knew it as extremely as this.

Try again. One more time.

"Charles!"

No luck. There was no room for comfort in her life. Her destiny was fear. Fear, slime and darkness.


End file.
